A French writer and photographer brings the spoils of his Middle Eastern travels to Abu Dhabi, with an evocative exhibition of work collated over two years called Between Sand and Sea
Artist Olivier Escarguel has spent two years roaming around Iran, Oman and Abu Dhabi, capturing moments of life through the lens. His exhibition, which runs until May 19, showcases captivating shots of landscapes and people as they go about their daily existence. Taking place in Gallerie Ormuz, the exhibition features over 100 works from the region. We spoke to the French artist about the project.
Tell us a bit about this exhibition.
This exhibition is exclusively about Oman, Abu Dhabi and Iran. For a long time I have been fascinated by the Arabic and Muslim countries, for their poetry and for their particular approach to the passing of time. This exhibition is, in a way, the translation of that feeling between a special work on portraits and the desire to reveal something personal. It is like a poetic conversation between people, scenes and a mix of materials colours and lights I have contemplated. This is, first of all, an invitation to contemplation, to see the beauty of those countries through my own perspective. It was important for me to show a complete work – each part of the exhibition is linked to the other one. We are displaying in three different places colour photographs, black and white pictures and canvasses. Poetry is part of the exhibition as they accompany the photos.
What is your favourite piece in this collection and why?
Every picture was chosen following a painstaking process, nevertheless I would say that there are two; the first one is a woman whose face you can see very faintly through a veil. It evokes great emotion, from the expression of her eyes and the beauty of her face. Moreover, portraits are an important reason for me to do photography. On the other hand, my second favourite one is an abstract picture where you see a fisherman’s net on a piece on wood. The alliance between the two materials, the very subtle colours and the light complement each other perfectly. Ultimately, they both symbolise how I aim to find the hidden beauty of the world.
What is the most difficult subject matter for you to capture?
In a way, all the subjects are very difficult to capture exactly as you desire but speaking from a purely technical point of view, pictures with movement are the most challenging.
How did you get into photography in the first place?
I liked photography as a teenager but eight years ago, I made a decision to change my life. As travelling was going to be a such big part of what I do, photography seemed like a natural and obvious complement
to the experience.
What was the first picture you ever took?
I can’t remember the first one I ever took but I do remember the first one I really liked. I was about 15 or 16 years old and it was a girl looking at me from under the water of a lake. The light, the expression of the person and the colours were very nice.
What does photography mean to you?
For me, it is about the marriage of imagery and literature. Words are a necessary complement to pictures. I could not make an exhibition without working on texts and without amplifying the perspective I want to give with the chosen words.
What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
The first one is simplicity. Most of the time people try to get something they could name as extraordinary but quite often it is kitsch, banal, without interest. An artist has to work hard and their eye has to be related to their heart and to their spirit at the same time. I don’t think you can create valuable things without a soul. That’s more important than a strong technical background. The best works are done with simplicity and humility.
For more details visit www.olivierescarguel.fr. Gallery Ormuz is near the American International School, between 29th Street and 4th Street (050 522 7301).
