I work rather intuitively — A Conversation with Matthieu Litt

Featuring Matthieu Litt Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Matthieu Litt, a Belgium-based photographer, explores humans' destructive effect on nature, grieving the neglect and failure to preserve the environment. The viewer gets a chance to be closer to the natural beauty, yet existent, in the far corners of our world, such as the Arctic. The nostalgia is expressed towards the untouched nature while the images come to preserve the beauty and the grandiosity of the landscapes as we can experience today.

Matthieu has recently presented his new series Terra Nullius at Unseen Amsterdam Photography Fair with Fragma Gallery in Amsterdam. In this series, we are invited to witness the transformation, the melting of ice in the Arctic, in a photographer's attempt to ignite a thought about the planet's future and raise awareness. This is a wake-up call and an expression of love for what we still have and the fear for the future.  

Stemming from the need to include images that would fit a project, Matthieu Litt decided to incorporate photography into his work. After gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from l’Ecole supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc, Matthieu continued his studies in Photography at Saint-Luc Institute. Background in design allowed Matthieu to get an advantage and the possibility to fully immerse himself in all the aspects of working on a project or a book. Matthieu explains his approach, “I then think of the images as material that can be used in many ways. I designed my own books and still have my practice in graphic design by creating artist books for other authors.” In this conversation, we discuss with Matthieu his two highly acclaimed books, Horsehead Nebula, the travel through the former Soviet republics, and the second book, Tidal Horizon, in which he turns his gaze to the complex connection between humans and nature. 

‘It all started by combining graphic design, texts, and images. The potential to create my own images so they can fit into a project was the beginning of my interest in photography.’

My Story

Hi Matthieu, first of all, thank you for this interview! I’d like to start by asking where your passion lies and why you chose the path of photography? 

Hello Nastasia, and thanks a lot for your interest in my work! For me, it all started by combining graphic design, texts, and images. The potential to create my own images so they can fit into a project was the beginning of my interest in photography.

‘I often think of the book as the final result when I start a project. For me, the potential to create an object that goes further than only displaying the images is essential.’

Graphic Design

You gained your BA in graphic design and later on also in photography at St Luc Liège in Belgium and practiced graphic design for some time. It is incredibly interesting to learn how many photographers come from this background in design. In what way do you think it affects how you photograph or see the frame? How did it help you to work on your photobooks? 

I think it mostly affects how I show the images by helping me to enhance the experience for the viewer in an exhibition or a book rather than the way that I create them. I often think of the book as the final result when I start a project. For me, the potential to create an object that goes further than only displaying the images is essential. I then think of the images as material that can be used in many ways. I designed my own books and still have my practice in graphic design by creating artist books for other authors.

‘One of my best moments was an encounter with three friends planting apricot trees during spring. The weather was still cold, and they offered some vodka.’

Horsehead Nebula

Let’s speak about your first photobook, Horsehead Nebula, which strikes with the tranquility of landscapes, the beauty of prairies, mountains, and the forgotten cities in the former Soviet republics. It appears to be a long trip you took, which probably allowed for some time to contemplate. What was the most meaningful moment during this journey?  

As you said, I took my time while visiting these countries, which allowed me to be guided by my instinct and by following locals and their advice. I travel mostly by public transport, which is important to me — to limit my impact and to be immersed in the place's life. It takes much more time, but you are rewarded with encounters and moments that you would never have experienced being isolated in a car, for example.

The 'off' moments are also very important. You end up somewhere — waiting for a bus, resting a bit after a long walk — and sometimes you meet someone or see a part of the landscape you have not yet noticed. One of my best moments was an encounter with three friends planting apricot trees during spring. The weather was still cold, and they offered some vodka. That was the start of a rather long hike, and it was 8 in the morning, but it wasn't an option to refuse as they were so welcoming. That's the kind of memory that makes me want to go back to visit these people.

‘I look for details that convey what I want my series to speak of, using visual and elliptical metaphors.’

Tidal Horizon

With the second book, Tidal Horizon, you turn the gaze toward the lost connection between humans and nature. The thought is on the impact the human being has on nature and the positive/negative change that occurs. What is your approach or methodology to work on research of this kind? How do you conduct the study on the natural elements to translate it into an artistic statement? 

I would say I work rather intuitively. I studied a bit of agronomy, so all the natural, plants, geologic, and animal topics have always interested me. I look for details that convey what I want my series to speak of, using visual and elliptical metaphors. I don't research a lot beforehand, not to be biased by topics or places already explored or discussed. I prefer to immerse myself in one place, start the research, and try different things while there.

Oasis

As suggested in your artist statement, your main interest lies in researching the concepts of distance and closeness. With the recently self-published book Oasis, we encounter the tranquil world and the beauty of nature. While the overall impression is of calmness, the silence is broken by the call to humanity throughout the pages of the book. What is the meaning of distance and closeness to you, and which questions are you trying to answer while working on those concepts?

For me, finding the beauty that lies at your doorstep is key to raising awareness on the current environmental crisis. This is my point with the project Oasis, saving a green lung that is threatened by concretization. When you focus and spend a vast amount of time in the same area, you begin to understand its specificities and why it is necessary to protect it.

A Sneak Peek

Could you provide us a sneak peek into the project you’re currently working on or some of the themes in development? 

I just premiered Terra Nullius at Unseen Amsterdam, a series I made in Greenland during a residency. Terra Nullius was the name given to undiscovered land in the past, places where everything was possible, and zones of attraction for navigators and discoverers. Being a place subject to changes and transformation more than anywhere else on the planet for the moment, this was also the source of my attraction to it. Everything is still possible there, but unfortunately, now in the good and the worst sense of the word.

The images merge the beauty that can be found in the Arctic with the profound sadness of being able, as maybe one of the last people, to witness such a scenery. The superposition of the images in the series is a way to frame such a vast landscape, as well as, the past and the present, into a single image. The media blend with the view, the randomness of this process, leaving space for the magic of the Arctic to become visible.