Bruno Bertrand-Frezoul
In 1991 after studying photography in Nimes, South of France, Bruno Bertrand-Frezoul began an assistant position in Arles under the guidance of French photographer Lucien Clergue.
Wanting to improve his skills even further, he worked with Serge Gal, founder of the Photography School "Image Ouverte", on black and white photography approaches. Influenced by the works of Ansel Adam’s Zone System and different processing techniques he began to develop his own personal style.
Manipulating negatives directly with paint and burn effects in the darkroom, Bruno Bertrand-Frezoul also began to scratch compositional elements away. Seduced by the experience, scratching has since become his landmark. By brutalizing his negatives he depicts the parallels of violence in our world. Lending substance with scratch processes, a new vision is given to black and white photography.
He showcases his illustrative approach with his urban series of New York. Taken between 2006 and 2007 the emotional imagery embodies a vintage quality, evoking a timeless sensitivity, rousing up memories of days long gone.
To quote Lucien Clergue, “With Bruno Bertrand-Frezoul, we salute the birth of a visual poet.”