Gérard MOULIN, born in 1942, French.
Gérard MOULIN, an electrical engineering consultant, is a specialist in light. Since 1971, he has frequented photography clubs, and since 1979, he has been a regular member of the 30 X 40 group. He has exhibited several times.
The remarkable mastery that Gérard MOULIN has acquired today is the result of a careful study of the work of the best photographers and the methodical, patient development of his own style. He has long contemplated the tranquility of Harry Callahan and the solidity of Ralph Gibson. But the landscapes of Lee Friedlander, with their triumphant freedom, taught him the paralyzing effects of excessive rigidity. He has also meditated on the mystery that Ralph Eugene Meatyard could evoke simply by arranging things and people within a familiar space.
In 1984, a significant breakthrough accelerated the pace of this patient search. Gérard Moulin joined those who use camera shake not only as a means of conveying movement but as a fundamental quality of the photographic surface. His images reached a surprising level of quality.
Yet, perhaps there was still a final application of the diligent student, eager to break free from overly rigid preparations. For the past year, Gérard Moulin has delved into a universe that belongs solely to him, one that is made up of the familiar objects around him. It is rare to see an author, no matter how talented, reach the full space of such beautiful creation.
Gérard Moulin introduces us to places where the interplay of light and shadow, the tension between the near and the far, and the contrasts between materials are so intense that their internal richness makes us forget the continuity of reality, turning them into autonomous and self-sufficient worlds. These are still lifes, but this term should no longer evoke an artificially arranged and externally reproduced setup. These places seem to be viewed from within themselves, through their primary reality of light vibrations and spatial distortions; each object is given to us to learn.