Arles 2023 x Sigma
For his first exhibition at the Rencontres de la Photo in Arles, Thomas Claisse has chosen the journey between New York and Texas. This exhibition is organized by SIGMA, a brand with which the photographer has a long-standing relationship.
After several years of collaboration on Thomas's professional work, particularly in high jewelry photography, where the precision of SIGMA's Foveon sensor is an undeniable asset, the exhibition of his personal work at the prestigious Rencontres d'Arles marks an important milestone in the relationship between the photographer and the brand.
With the SIGMA fp and the 24mm F3.5 DG DN | Contemporary lens, Thomas traveled across the United States. This compact and discreet camera-lens combination allowed him to photograph street scenes discreetly in both New York and the state of Texas, capturing two visions of society coexisting in the same country, the United States.
These contrasts intermingle in the photographer's work.
"In New York, the city absorbs me, everyday life scenes present themselves to me at every street corner." Photography meets an urgent need to capture situations, as if to pause, for the duration of a snapshot, the noise and intensity of a city as fascinating as it is exhausting.
This photographic approach is completely opposite to what he experiences in Texas.
"When I travel through this state, I can drive for hours to find signs of life. Life often revolves around the car or political celebrations and events."
When he travels, Tom never sets a destination; his only quest is the living.
To preserve the humanity of his shots, this self-taught photographer applies a unique method: "I rarely look through the viewfinder to capture an image; it is consistently placed beside my face at eye level."
According to him, this is a way to live in the moment and get as close as possible to the subject, to engage in an exchange... Without ever rushing those who inhabit the frame, the photographer breaks down the barriers that separate him from his environment in order to invite us in.
