My interest in looking is what came first
Solenne Spitalier’s work reminds us of the importance of observing the surrounding elements, the magic of the moment when the sun gently illuminates the surface, and the essence of human relationships. In her project, Wide Open, Solenne explores the mundane moments, reconstructing her childhood experiences. Solenne explains the concept of the work, “I wanted to create a tension between moments that felt comforting and others that felt more about isolation and longing.
I struggled at the start because although these themes of longing, touch, and care felt urgent to me, I didn’t see them as valid things to make work about. It felt like something that wouldn’t be of interest to others or something that wasn’t 'academic' enough.” Solenne Spitalier is a photographer who grew up in London. Solenne was born into a family of an American mother and a French father. She gained her BA in Sociology and Studio Art from Wesleyan University (CT).
In this interview, we discuss her thesis project Wide Open (2019-2020) and present a broader range of her work. We speak about her early years, her first spark of interest in photography from the age of 14, taking her dad’s film camera, and the development of her interest in the sphere. Solenne explains that her studies in the U.S. became important in finding her visual direction in photography. Solenne says, “I felt like I could translate the emotional and physical states I was experiencing through photography and that the themes I was interested in were valid and 'academic' enough.”
‘I grew up in London in the UK. My mom is American and my dad is French, so I was surrounded by three different cultures. I’ve always felt a little out of place, that I don’t ‘belong’ completely to either of these nationalities.’
The Beginning
Let’s start from the basics, the place you grew up in, some of your childhood memories that are of importance, and the choice to study photography.
I grew up in London in the UK. My mom is American and my dad is French, so I was surrounded by three different cultures. I’ve always felt a little out of place, that I don’t ‘belong’ completely to either of these nationalities, but I’m also grateful for the different perspectives this dynamic has offered. I don’t think there are specific childhood memories that are of importance or led me to photography. My interest in looking is what came first.
Growing up, I remember walking everywhere with my mom. She dislikes driving, so whenever we had the option, we would walk, which I wasn’t always too happy about, haha. Looking back, though, walking definitely developed my interest in searching for details in the everyday. Doing ballet for around ten years also made me aware of how I move in a space and what the audience sees. Dancing activated a poetic but also strenuous way of moving through space. Experiencing the world through movement, whether it was walking, dancing, or driving sparked that interest in looking.
The first time I started shooting though wasn’t until I was around 14, and I used my dad’s old film camera. It gave me a place to put that observation and curiosity into motion. A friend showed me the basics, and I would just walk around and take photos of anything I found interesting. Eventually, I decided to study photography when I started studying at Wesleyan University (CT), and that is really where I was able to start thinking about a body of work.
‘In regards to my photography classes there, I had a photo advisor who was incredibly inspiring to me. For the first time, I felt like I could translate the emotional and physical states I was experiencing through photography and that the themes I was interested in were valid and 'academic' enough.’
The Studies
You graduated with a BA in Sociology and Studio Art from Wesleyan University last year. How do you think studies in the US shaped your approach to photography?
I grew up going to a French school until the start of high school, then went to a British one and then the U.S. for university. The French and American education systems felt like opposite experiences to me. I think that coming from the French system, where it often feels like there is only a right or wrong way of doing things and the overall teaching ethos can be quite negative, I often felt too anxious to speak in class.
However, the structure of the U.S. academic system helped unlearn some of those anxieties and the open-minded environment enabled me to feel more confident in trusting my intuition. My studies in Sociology definitely informed how I was thinking about photo and what I wanted to express. In regards to my photography classes there, I had a photo advisor who was incredibly inspiring to me. For the first time, I felt like I could translate the emotional and physical states I was experiencing through photography and that the themes I was interested in were valid and 'academic' enough.
How is the experience of living in the US different for you when compared to France?
The experience of living in the U.S. versus France is something I am still trying to understand. I have only started living full-time in France since I graduated, so about a year and a half and even that experience was different from how it would normally be because of COVID. I lived in the U.S. for my four years of university, and my impression was that many things are one extreme or the other, it is hard to live a balanced life, and some things can feel more transactional compared to Europe. That being said, I felt that people were much friendlier and open-minded in the U.S. I think that with any scenario, though, there will always be positives and negatives in both places! I am planning on moving back to the U.S. in 2022.
‘My point of departure for many of my pictures was memory and recreation of childhood. It didn’t always have to be the recreation of a specific event, but I found it helpful to think about that period of time because it has shaped the way I perceive things now.’
Wide Open
In the series Wide Open you explore mundane moments and present the beauty in capturing a scene that might or might not be repeated but is very familiar and personal. How did this project start?
Initially, I knew I wanted to make photos about affection and longing. I have so many diaries from my childhood. As I was revisiting them, I realized that care, who cares for who, and how, has always been something I’ve been curious about. These themes have had an important emotional impact on me, whether concerning family, friends, or romantic relationships. Starting this body of work was an opportunity for me to make sense of my personal experiences and explore how that could be made plural.
Although I had an idea of the themes I was interested in, there wasn’t much specificity in the way I was talking about the work. I began shooting intuitively, then gradually started formulating what I wanted and including more constructed shoots. I knew I didn’t want longing and care to be too romanticised. It took me a while to find what I wanted visually, but eventually, I started creating a world that felt familiar yet disorientating.
My point of departure for many of my pictures was memory and recreation of childhood. It didn’t always have to be the recreation of a specific event, but I found it helpful to think about that period of time because it has shaped the way I perceive things now. Imagination is so potent at that age, and it can be this amazing thing that expands the potential for what you desire, but it can also fuel your deepest fears.
I wanted to create a tension between moments that felt comforting and others that felt more about isolation and longing. I struggled at the start because although these themes of longing, touch, and care felt urgent to me, I didn’t see them as valid things to make work about. It felt like something that wouldn’t be of interest to others or something that wasn’t 'academic' enough. These themes are more nuanced and complex than one may initially assume. The physical and emotional expectations of how one is supposed to experience intimacy, whether it be within the family, with friends, or romantically have made me feel frustrated and confused – consciously or not – as a child, teenager, and young adult.
A lot of the work stems from disillusionment and my fears regarding expectations from myself and others. I find it helpful to use photography to work through those issues and try to make them more visible. Making this kind of work required me to be vulnerable. I felt kind of embarrassed that these themes were so important to me, but that also made me realize that if I felt that way, some other people probably did too.
‘That suggests an unlimited potential for fiction and imagination. I find it fun to play with this, switching between states of immersion in this illusion and then breaking away from it.’
The Drive
What is your main passion in photography or what drives you to continue working?
Wonder feels hard to grasp most of the time in a world where everything is so instantaneous. It is really difficult for me to feel present in the moment. I often worry about what may happen or what has happened. Photographing is a way for me to be present and hold on to that wonder that stems from childhood. When I was younger, we were encouraged to make things and be ‘bored.’ I feel like that forced me to find my own entertainment, including storytelling. I would make these little booklets with random stories, or I would dance, draw, dress up. Writing in my diaries also gave me a place to channel my thoughts, and over time that medium switched over to photography.
There is something about wonder that suggests an unlimited potential for fiction and imagination. I find it fun to play with this, switching between states of immersion in this illusion and then breaking away from it. One way I was able to create this tension in this project was through sequencing. That picture of the water makes the sparkles almost look like shimmering diamonds, but it is immediately followed by an unsettling picture of a boy's face down, bringing us back to a potentially disturbing reality.
I think, ultimately, I am interested in the link between the emotional and physical and in magnifying mundane moments that may appear simple at first, but on closer inspection are telling of more complex narratives that reference themes such as the reconstruction of childhood, intimacy, and isolation.
Upcoming Projects
What’s the next thing we’ll see from you? What is the stage this project is in today?
I am currently in the initial stages of a new project related to dance. It was delayed quite a bit because of COVID, but I will start shooting next week!
