Alain Banon
Momentum series
From Latin momentum-movement, particle sufficient to turn the scales, moment, from “movere” to move, (movere-entum). Moment; a brief, unspecified amount of time.
Memories are not a faithful record of the lived experiences, as photography is not an exact reflection of a time or a place. Remembering and imagining are very similar things. The brain creates, completes, invent, and model our memories based on pieces of information polished by time, conditioned by our past and our future.
Momentum series
The more we evoke our memories, the more and more they are transformed, reinvented, becoming less accurate to the reality. But sometimes there are not even such memories, we live them as memories but are completely fabricated.
Momentum series
Momentum explores the distortion of our memories through the time allowing me to recreate a personal order from chaos, a special moments made of fragments.
Momentum series
Momentum series
There are still some places where we can escape from reality those moments when we feel surpassed by our lives. One of Those special places is magic and a very, very old forest, where wise and old trees share sometimes their secrets with some selected visitors, and time suddenly stops… Should we really stop to believe in magic? In tales, in the fantastic? In the kids we used to be?
Forest Wonder Tales series
Fairy tales, also known as wonder tales or märchen (from the German), are a sub-genre of folktales involving magical, fantastic or wonderful episodes, characters, events, or symbols. They remind us our childhood, and quickly transport us to another world.
Forest Wonder Tales series
Forest Wonder Tales series
My son inspired me this work. I wish I could see a half of all those wonders he is capable of seeing…
Fairy Tales series
Fairy Tales series
Artist Statement
From a young age, I was interested in art, specially drawing. I used to drawn at class, where I frequently heard the phrase; “can you stop wasting your time with those drawings…?”, which marked some part of my personality. Particularly the part “wasting your time”. Is it a waste of time to drawn? Or maybe to photograph? How our own and almost forgotten memories influence our work?
Nature and memory, identity and environment had been always significant to me. Photography allows me to reconnect with myself, with that missed inner child and a greater and magical world almost forgotten. Paradoxically it’s a quest to unlearn, to reinvent a present based on influences from the past.
After living in the Caribbean for 10 years, my work approaches more and more to nature. I search for seeds, plants, trees, branches, and many other living beings, simple and natural elements to express myself. I look for elements that are accessible, that inspire and allow me to play with them to represent ideas or concepts while they show me the next step.
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