D’argile, by Laurence Leblanc

D’argile, an artist’s book produced with the support of the Picto Foundation, sponsor of the Niépce Prize, as part of the prize awarded to Laurence Leblanc by the Gens dʻImages in 2016.

This artist’s book was designed around the “D’ARGILE” series. The series is the result of meticulous photographic work, taking as its subject small clay figurines modeled for a film by Rithy Panh testifying to the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide.

Laurence Leblanc uses the principle of reversal of scale and seriality to make these faces, smaller than the thumbnail of a hand, into real portraits. The 54 black and white prints found in the object strangely resonate with the history of anthropomorphic photography that the Khmer Rouge has terribly exploited for the purposes of identification and repression. However, to question the value of a unique and singular life in this atrocity of numbers, Laurence Leblanc does not give in to the systematic approach that characterizes mug shots and plays with a renewed photographic device. The appearance of a disproportionate human hand or the sight of two figurines seemingly supporting each other are all salient images that question differently. Still with Laurence Leblanc, this dissonance surfaces the meaning.

For this project, we have adapted a prototype already designed by the artist. To try to keep the authenticity of the original object, we have used two types of paper. This gives a gray effect on the edges, reminiscent of the tape and glue used by the artist.

D’argile, by Laurence Leblanc, prize winner of the Prix Niepce, 2016, Paris. This artist book was made with Picto Foundation, Gens d’images and Laurel Parker Book. Limited edition of 15 copies.

Design : Laurence Leblanc with Laurel Parker
Prints : Picto
Fabrication : Laurel Parker Book.