Discovering the work of Xavier Nuez was another of the many delights to be found at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. Xavier was showing his Alleys & Fire Escapes Collection, the colors and imagery of which immediately drew the attention of our - hip - teenage son. We spoke to Xavier and evidently, that conversation led us to appreciate his art even more. He told us about his scouting for deserted or abandoned inner city locations, about his 90 minutes long exposures and about his lighting techniques. No Photoshop here. Quite remarkable and the fact that he was also a Montreal resident not so long ago makes us like him even more.
This is the image that caught my son's eye first. An abandoned stadium in Miami. Read about the background story to this image here on Xavier's Website.
He is on tour all summer in various parts of the country. You might be lucky to find him in your neck of the woods.
In his own words:
Alleys & Fire Escapes is an exploration of urban decay and of the elusive stories and beauty lurking within its dark corners. These are corners rich in history, which I sift through in an attempt to revive the past, and to tell its tale in powerful yet subtle ways.
Long after dark, I walk through desolate urban settings, often in inner-city ghettos, seeking out the drama and intensity of these places. With the city humming in the background, I give myself the task of finding inspiration, beauty and power where there shouldn’t be any. It is a thrilling adventure in a risky setting – I try to bring friends.
Technical notes
To capture the striking colors in my photographs, I rely mainly on the available light, and on the long exposures required (sometimes over one hour). City lights create unusual colors on film, but what the film sees is usually not what I see when I’m at the scene – I’m often looking at dark grey buildings. I also bring along my own lights with colored gels.
I shoot with a Hasselblad camera, loaded with fine-grain film. When I started the series, I had hoped to shoot the alleys with a much larger, 4x5 camera. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to run with a 4x5 kit, so I had to settle with the 120mm format.
He will be attending the ArtExpo which is moving from NYC to Las Vegas in September. It's on my calendar.
