Louise Degraeve (°1992) is a photographer and book designer living and working in Ghent, Belgium. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Belgium and abroad, including at SMAK (Ghent), Initial Labo (Paris), Haute Photographie (Rotterdam) and VUE Gallery (Brussels).
In her artistic practice, she explores the power of suggestion through photography and printed matter. Alongside that, she works as a book designer for other artists, while also developing her own series of publications. Most recently, she created the series seasonal notes, in which she draws a parallel between the four seasons and the four family roles within her own household. This results in a set of publications that each form a photographic and textual association between one of those roles and a season.
Her work is an ongoing play of approaching and distancing herself from reality and the everyday. At times touched and sometimes confused, viewers can recognise personal memories in a visual language of postures and human actions. In search of the fragility of relationships, it celebrates the poetic in the personal.
This tension between vulnerability and control also shapes how she positions herself, both as the one looking and the one being seen. It is this interest in exchange and vulnerability that lies at the heart of BOTH SIDES, a project she describes like this:
BOTH SIDES is an ongoing project in which I meet other photographers and we exchange portraits. Each exchange has a different dynamic, atmosphere, focus and outcome. The project began with the simple idea of stepping in front of the camera for a change. I found it appealing to learn from one another, given that, as photographers, we tend to work in our own individual spheres. It is enriching to share ideas, knowledge and experience. Almost every encounter also features a ‘nerdy’ moment where we discuss our personal technical preferences and cameras.
Portraying someone is a rather intimate shared moment. We surrender to the encounter and try to open up on both sides of the camera. Hearing the phrase ‘Just be yourself’ can be quite a cliché for someone being photographed. Because what does that actually mean? When I’m being photographed, I try to concentrate on my most natural state of mind and appearance. It’s a mental challenge to be ‘completely yourself’. In that way, being photographed can be a kind of meditation, in which you surrender completely to what the other person sees through their camera. It requires trust – in the other person and, ultimately, in yourself too.
On days when I’m not really in the mood for it, I find that I look most like myself in the photographs. That doesn’t mean the self-consciousness is gone, or the nervousness when you first start. There’s a cliché that a photographer doesn’t like having their photograph taken. And in the end, that applies to me too.
Being photographed doesn’t always feel natural. And let’s be honest, it isn’t. It is a genuine and natural moment in itself, but we add an extra layer to it. Above all, it’s a collaborative process with a sense of anticipation. People I photograph often tell me beforehand that they’re not quite sure what to do or how to behave. But as we work together, they slowly grow out of that nervousness, and both our levels of concentration swell with confidence. This creates a wonderful arc of tension that continues to fascinate me. When I’m photographed myself during an exchange, I feel myself gradually softening. I step out of my head and into the moment. The result is always surprising. [Official Website]
