In Conversation with Olivia Arthur
Q: When you photograph, are you discovering the world or inventing it?
A: Photography is a way of discovering the world, but it is also more than that.The act of photographing and the relationship between the photographer and subject can also be theatrical, something of a game. I love the feeling of discovering something that you thought you already knew, but in a new way. Photography is very good at that. I have always been very interested in exploring the realm that lies between reality and imagination, something that photography captures best.
Q: You looked at earlier Matsuda catalogues from the 80's and 90's. What stayed with you, and how did those sensibilities echo in your own approach?
A: There is a feeling of storytelling and playfulness in those catalogues that I have tried to echo in this series for Rêverie.
Q: All images were shot on film. You often choose analogue over digital — a choice rooted in process and patience. Do you feel a work is somehow more complete when it's created on film?
A: Yes, I love working on film, or in analogue processes in general. There is a pace, where you have to take your time and be more considered, but there is also the element of surprise, of leaving a little bit more to chance and then waiting to see what mood, gesture, or emotion has been captured. It's not about completeness so much as texture and emotion.