Bruno Del Zou (contemporary artist)

About him

Brno Del Zou is a musician, photographer, sculptor, videographer, software designer, creator of video / sound / interactive installations. After a doctorate in theoretical mechanics, a teaching and research position in information and communication at the University of Poitiers, the creation and management of a university research laboratory on mediated learning, Brno Del Zou now devotes himself exclusively to his artistic productions. His portraits and bodies, in “Photo-sculptures” or video animations, have toured the planet and inspired many artists. Brno del Zou is a French artist/photographer born in 1963. In his “photo sculptures” series, Brno del Zou uses the fragmentation of the body in order to better understand it. Brno del Zou layers various cropped photographs of the face taken from various angles to create a distorted overall portrait. Most of Brno del Zou work is produced in black and white which enables the viewer to focus on the details in the features of the face. Brno also explores the use contrast to show the lighter and darker areas of the face. This helps to attract the attention of the viewer and grab their interest even further.

Analysis of one of his images

How he links to identity

Brno Del Zou’s work often plays with themes of identity, transformation, and concealment. His photography typically explores the tension between the surface appearance and deeper identity, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. This can manifest in several ways such as using lighting, shadows, and abstract compositions to create a sense of visual ambiguity, where the viewer is uncertain about what they are seeing. This suggests that nothing is as it seems, and the true essence of a person or concept is obscured—echoing the idea of disguise as a means of hiding or transforming one’s true nature. In this way, Del Zou’s photography invites a dialogue about identity, self-presentation, and the masks we wear, whether consciously or unconsciously. His approach links closely to the theme of disguise, offering a nuanced exploration of how we conceal, reveal, and alter ourselves in the context of society and personal expression. He often expresses that “photography can act as both a mirror and a mask, revealing and concealing aspects of the subject”. I think his images clearly link to the theme of seek observe and challenge as he is not only looking at the person he’s photographing but also seeking understanding by capturing them from all angles which is more vulnerable than a straight on single shot then encompassing all those separate images to create one whole, real image of that person where they cannot hide any part of themselves. Therefore challenging their natural instinct to hide their true selves. 

Quotes

• One quote by Brno Del Zou is: “beyond the body itself and its beauty, there is unity”. Here he is talking about how he uses photo manipulation of the body to understand and observe it more. For example, he takes photos of people then crops certain elements of their features into a different position on their faces, giving a freakish effect. 

(https://16abimar.weebly.com/portraiture.html#:~:text=Brno%20Del%20Zou&text=A%20quote%20from%20him%20is,faces%2C%20giving%20a%20freakish%20effect.)

•“Fragmenting the body doesn’t mean cutting it up in order to dissolve it, it means trying to recompose it in the hope to achieve and create unity, an identity, perhaps the fundamental one, the one that supports all the differences, all the variations, all the points of view, which is saved despite everything, despite the light variations and the positions in the space, resisting any immediate apprehension, multiplying as it wishes, without ever losing this unity without which the body itself could not exist.” I believe here he is trying to convey the idea of capturing someone from many different viewpoints and variations in order to try and get the most real, whole sense of that person, despite the image looking fragmented these individual pieces allow us to see the person in every angle which could be seen as vulnerable and which you couldn’t get with just one photograph straight on. 

(https://www.artsper.com/us/contemporary-artists/france/845/brno-del-zou#:~:text=the%20provided%20link.-,Biography,create%20installations%20of%20multiple%20scales.)

•“In the manner of the first cubists, a body, a face, or even a landscape, can be represented from different points of view both on the same plane space. For my part, I add a “thick” compared to the canvas of painters. But the process is the same, I am as faithful, perhaps even more, to the subject photographed by representing it from different angles, different scales, than by using the unique point of view of classical photography.”

(https://www.kooness.com/artists/brno-del-zou)

David Hockney and joiners (historical artist)

About him

David Hockney is a renowned British artist known for his contributions to painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography. In the context of photography, Hockney is particularly famous for his innovative exploration of photo-collage and multi-image compositions.

One of his most significant photographic works is the joiners series, which he began in the 1980s. In these works, Hockney took multiple Polaroid photographs or 35mm snapshots of a single subject from various perspectives and then arranged them into a grid-like collage. The resulting images present a fragmented, yet cohesive, view of a scene, emphasizing the passage of time, movement, and the subjective experience of vision. This technique reflected Hockney’s interest in how the mind perceives and processes visual information, challenging traditional notions of perspective and photographic representation.

Hockney’s approach to photography is often seen as a bridge between the worlds of painting and photography, pushing the boundaries of both media. His work in this area was part of a broader exploration of how visual art can represent time, space, and multiple viewpoints simultaneously.

How he links to cubism

David Hockney’s work is often linked to Cubism due to his exploration of multiple perspectives and the fragmentation of visual space, similar to what was pioneered by artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the early 20th century. While Hockney is not a Cubist in the traditional sense, his use of collage, the reordering of visual elements, and the representation of time and space in non-linear ways bear a clear influence from Cubism.

Key ways Hockney connects to Cubism:

Multiple Perspectives: One of the core ideas of Cubism was showing an object from multiple angles simultaneously. Hockney adopted this idea in his photography and painting. For example, in his famous joiners series, he used multiple photographs of the same subject taken from different angles and arranged them to depict a scene in a fragmented, Cubist-inspired way. The result is a multi-dimensional view of a moment, much like how Cubist artists would depict a subject from various viewpoints in a single work.

Collage and Assemblage: Like Picasso’s collage techniques, Hockney also employed collage in his photography, combining many images to form a larger composition. This aligns with the Cubist tendency to deconstruct and reassemble reality in a fragmented form.

Time and Space: Cubism challenged traditional perspectives of space by representing subjects from different angles simultaneously, allowing for a more complex, layered depiction. Hockney’s photo collages achieve a similar effect by showing the passage of time within a single image. In his joiners, the viewer can see different moments and viewpoints of the same subject, which echoes the Cubist interest in representing time and space as fluid and interconnected, rather than fixed and linear.

Flatness and Abstraction: Hockney also experimented with the flattening of space, a characteristic of Cubism. His works often defy traditional perspective, with figures and objects appearing fragmented and disjointed, emphasizing flatness and abstraction, much like Cubist paintings.

In sum, while Hockney’s style is not strictly Cubist, his work draws on many of the techniques and ideas that defined the movement, particularly in terms of reimagining how we perceive and represent space, time, and perspective in art.

How he links to identity

In his joiners series (photographic collages), Hockney deconstructs the traditional idea of a singular, static identity by fragmenting the image and presenting it from multiple perspectives. This approach suggests that identity is not a fixed or singular thing but is instead constructed from many different viewpoints, experiences, and moments. Just as the collages break down and reassemble a subject, identity itself is presented as something dynamic, evolving, and open to reinterpretation.

Overall, Hockney’s work suggests that identity is not a static or singular thing, but rather a continuous process of change and reinvention. Through his experimentation with different media and his constant revisiting of themes such as self-portraiture, portraiture, and the relationship between people and their environments, Hockney offers a nuanced and multifaceted view of identity as an evolving, dynamic experience. David Hockney’s exploration of identity is multi-layered, examining not only personal and sexual identity but also how identity is shaped by memory, time, environment, and perception. Through his diverse body of work, Hockney provides a complex and ever-evolving portrait of the self and others.

Similarities between Brno Del Zou and David Hockney

1. 1. Exploration of Perspective and Viewpoints:

David Hockney is known for his use of multiple perspectives, particularly in his photographic joiners series, where he assembled photographs from various angles to create a fragmented but cohesive image. This approach challenges traditional perspectives and encourages a more dynamic understanding of time and space.

Brno Del Zou similarly plays with perspectives in his photographic work, often manipulating the viewer’s perception by presenting scenes from unusual angles, fragmented viewpoints, or by employing collage techniques. Both artists use the concept of perspective to challenge conventional ways of seeing and depict a more complex, multidimensional world.

2. Collage and Fragmentation:

Hockney’s joiners (photo collages) are famous for combining multiple photographs of the same scene into one large composition, fragmenting the image into parts while maintaining a cohesive whole. This approach reflects his fascination with the process of perception and time.

Brno Del Zou also uses collage techniques and fragmented imagery in his work, creating complex and layered compositions. Both artists embrace fragmentation not as a disintegration of the subject but as a means to deepen the viewer’s engagement with the image and explore new ways of experiencing a scene or subject.

3. Portraiture and Identity:

Hockney’s portraiture, whether in painting or photography, is deeply concerned with identity—how it can be represented through the interaction of people, environments, and emotional depth.

Brno Del Zou often incorporates identity exploration into his photographic work, using layering, light manipulation, and distortion to suggest different facets of a person’s identity. Both artists treat the subject of portraiture as an exploration of more than just the visual appearance, delving into psychological and emotional dimensions.

Chuck Close (historical artist)

Chuck Close was an American artist renowned for his large-scale portraiture, which bridged the worlds of painting, photography, and printmaking. In the context of photography, Close is best known for his innovative work in photo-based portraiture, where he applied photographic techniques and processes to create highly detailed, often monumental portraits of his subjects. His approach to photography significantly influenced contemporary art, especially in the realm of hyperrealism and photo-realism. 

One of the defining aspects of Close’s work was his use of the grid method, which he applied both in painting and photography. He would divide a photograph into a grid of small sections and replicate each section on a larger scale. This method allowed him to focus on minute details, leading to the high level of precision and realism that his works are known for. This process, while rooted in photography, also aligns with artistic traditions in painting.

Close’s work in portraiture explores identity and individuality. His large, close-up portraits often focus on the face, allowing for an intense scrutiny of the human condition. These works highlight the uniqueness of each subject while also drawing attention to the texture, form, and subtleties of human features, often rendered with a photographic precision.

Chuck Close’s work stands as a pivotal example of how photography can intersect with painting, particularly in the realm of portraiture. His use of photography to capture and render the human face with extreme attention to detail reshaped the way that both mediums were perceived. Close’s work has had a lasting influence on both the fine art world and contemporary photography, particularly in terms of how we think about identity, representation, and the artistic process.

In order to develop my project further, I gathered some more inspiration from artists that I hadn’t specifically looked at in class. This way I was able to find elements in my own time that I think could link well to my project. I found one artist in particular that I knew I wanted to incorporate similar aspects and views as she does into my photobook: Ramona Wang. I found Wang’s work intriguing as she photographs women in unique ways that somehow exploit them and the representations that come with women in society, however she also challenges them by presenting women in ways that is not commonly seen in photography. For example, girls are expected to always look put together, glamourous and aesthetically pleasing for men. Wang’s work contrasts these stereotypes as she captures her models where they are presented opposingly, such as bad posture, ragged clothes and little-to-no makeup.

For my essay I will focus my attention on the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson.

In the introduction, I will discuss documentary photography and explain the artist references I have used and am inspired by for my project. I will also describe the intentions of my study, what I will be investigating and how I will do so.

I will then go on to talk about some historical context which links with my study, in this case, Henri Cartier-Bresson and the decisive moment.

Also, I’ll include a more detailed explanation of one or more of my chosen artists, interpreting their work and pointing out how my project is inspired by theirs.

Finally, I will conclude my essay, surmising my projects intentions, and drawing in similarities and differences between the artists’ work and my own.

I started my girlhood shoot at Le Hocq in jersey around the beach and in my fiat 500. I took images of many different things such as girls putting on lip gloss, laughing (caudinid) and walks a long the beach.

Here are my favourite images from this shoot. I like that the lighting for the shoot was natural daylight, which illuminated the scene and the atmosphere of the beach. The soft sunlight created a warm, golden glow. I used a focused aperture to highlight the moments of joy and expressions of the girls. With a low ISO sensitivity, the images maintained a clean quality, preserving the sharpness of the scenes even in the bright daylight. For the warm tones, I set the white balance to a slight “cast” setting, allowing for a soft, sun-kissed glow that added to the overall nostalgic and dreamy feel of the shoot and the sense of girlhood.

Selection and colouring:

For this photoshoot, I was inspired by Manny Robertson. I began recreating his work by taking photographs of a model in the studio. I placed one of the studio lights directly in front of her face to ensure my images would be clear and without shadows. I photographed her in front of a white background as this is the background colour typically seen in his images. I then got the model to experiment with different poses for example, looking to the side or tilting her head. I then imported my images into Lightroom and began narrowing down what images I wanted to use. I did this by first giving either a white flag if I liked the image or a black flag if I didn’t like it. I then gave all my images with a white flag a ranking out of 5. 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. I then used the filter tool to make it so I could only see my images with a 4 star rating. Then I edited the contrast and exposure of each image. These are the images which I will edit in photoshop.

I then exported my photos into a folder which I could then open in photoshop. I began by opening up an image where the model’s head was tilted to the side then used the object selection tool the make a cut out of her outline and dragged the cut out onto a white piece of paper. I then opened up a different image where her head was facing upwards and used the lasso tool to go around a section of her face. Next, I pressed layer via copy and dragged that cut out onto the face on the white piece of paper. After that, I pressed on the top layer and made it black and white as seen in Manny Robertson’s work. Next, I worked on the stitching effect seen between the two faces. I recreated this effect by using the pen tool on photoshop to make marks going from one face to another then made the thickness of it lower so it looked like stitching. Finally, I wanted to emphasise the idea a mask being pulled off her face so I decided to add a drop shadow to the mask layer which created depth and the idea of her being two different people.

These are the images by Manny Robertson that inspired my idea.

Final outcomes:

Overall, I like how this idea came out as I think I managed to successfully recreate the work of Manny Robertson and I feel like these images clearly relate to the theme of identity as it portrays the idea of people putting on masks in front of people and hiding their true identity due to fear of being cast out of society etc. However, one improvement I would make to this idea is actually stitching on the black lines instead of using the pen tool in photoshop as it would make my idea more creative in the sense of how its presented.

Photo shoot 1:

Selection and coloring:

Photo shoot 2:

Selection and coloring:

Reasoning

My intent and reasoning of these images was to represent the educational rights women gained during the 1960’s and 70’s which was focused on equality.  The second wave fought for the right for women to have access to an equal opportunity in the workforce, as well as the end of legal sex discrimination. Feminists worked for the Equal Rights Amendment, the Equal Pay Act, the addition of sex discrimination to the Civil Rights Act, and other laws that would guarantee equality. Therefore, my way of presenting this stereotype is through a female getting books from a shelf to suggest women’s educational rights. I was inspired by Cindy Sherman’s famous image whilst she was presenting the deconstruction of stereotypes during this time period.

An essential factor that stood out to me effectively was her clothing. Sherman’s clothing is still slightly dressed up however it is a half body shot stopping the sexualized stereotype, as this was reduced after the traditional house wife stereotype. Therefore, for my images I dressed my subject up in a fairly vintage aesthetic outfit but with less of a sexual element to it.

Editing

After these images, I decided to experiment with a change of props and using the mirror to show the reflection as I thought it made the image more significant and eye catching.

Overall–

Overall, I changed my angles to experiment and realised I preferred the image with the mirror within the frame. I made sure to keep my subject obtaining the female gaze as I personally believe it is a significant factor to add to my images. The type of clothing my subject is wearing is suppose to signify a slight sense of independence. This is because of the hat and white flowy dress as it portrays her personality rather than restrictions or impressing males. I experimented in black and white and colour, to learn to see what I preferred most which was black and white as I plan all my images to be in black and white apart from my 4th photoshoot including the 4th wave feminism. The reasoning of this being my plan, is that all three photoshoots are signifying the past which I believe black and white will emphasize this. The last photoshoot (4th wave) is to signify more of a present element to it as a young women, which I think is still relevant now. Fourth-wave feminism, is a feminist movement hat began around the early 2010s and is characterized by a focus on the empowerment of women, the use of internet tools, and intersectionality. The fourth wave seeks greater gender equality by focusing on gendered norms and the marginalization of women in society. Fourth-wave feminism focuses on sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual violence, the objectification of women, and sexism in the workplace. Therefore, within these images I lowered the exposure to create the right amount of exposure to make the door way darker to add a mysterious element. To emphasize this, I increased the blacks and shadows but to keep the subject the main focus I would increase the whites. The bookshelf is to represent the educational rights women fought for in the second wave feminist movement. The mirror is to portray an element of identity which women struggle to find in an oppressive society. However, this slightly contrasts to the clothing involved as the clothing is to signify a little more of independence as it has a growth than the ‘ traditional housewife’. The heavy makeup and and red lip is to represent a factor of women still feeling the pressure too do certain things for men in this patriarchal society. The red lip is to signify a bold and confident factor as from its early use by prostitutes in ancient Greece to a symbol of glamor in Hollywood, rouge lips has long been associated with beauty, power, and rebellion. Rouge lips have served as a symbol of power, rebellion, and femininity throughout history, from ancient civilizations to modern-day movements. This ensures the sexualised element to my first photoshoot is still obtained, which is definitely impactful and significant as women still faced this stereotype during the 60’s and 70’s. Lastly , I decided to decrease the texture as women were stereotypically to be seen as ‘ perfect’ which significantly links to my 4th photoshoot because of the rise of social media and pressures on women.

Where?

• The studio
• My room
• My house
• Places that mean something to me
• Places around jersey that I think have a relation to anxiety
• In school
• Photos that will demonstrate working hard

Who?

• My family
• My friends
• Me
• My teachers
• Landscapes

When?

• Weekends
• After school
• During school
• Whenever possible

What will I use?

• Celetape
• Mask
• Lights
• Projector
• Pen
• clock
• mirror
• paper
• desk
• hourglass

Why?

I will be honest, I struggles trying to find an idea for this topic, at first I was so excited because it would be fully my idea and I could be so creative and do what I wanted. Then I couldn’t think of idea, I got into a slump. I finally figured an idea on personality, as I realised I was always perceived differently by everyone, and no one really knew the true me, and thought that’s the same for everyone, case you can be whoever you want to be to anyone, and as long as your making them happy they probably wont questions it. I started to take photos of myself I wanted o use, spoke t some friends about my idea and they said it was great. then I spoke to my teachers, and I never felt like I was getting a great sense of love for my idea, always thought that’s a bit unfair, seeming’s as art is subjective, but I know they want to help, so I kept thinking, used them to help me but was still in a slump. Then I realised you know it can still be about identity but maybe only my anxiety, as I seem that’s pretty bad and its something that can go unseen from people but also something a lot of people can relate to. its also something that is darker and for some reason people love a darker deeper book. Took more photos. a lot of photos but just of things I found photogenic, maybe I could relate to my topic but not sure. then as I was upset because I wasn’t doing the best I could do in this topic I started thinking oh damn I know something personal about me relating to anxiety and all of this, and that’s me working so hard and sometimes it not being noticed or it getting hard and sometimes I need a hand or someone to notice its not because I’m lazy its because I’m struggling. so now after a million different thoughts on this topic I still have a million but I know to just take photos and try stuff and something will workout. so that Is how and why my photoshoot plans became a thing. I’m still trying buttt we will make it work because I believe I can.