MONOGRAM 3: MONUMENT by Camille Vivier

MONOGRAM32022ART PAPER EDITIONSJurgen MaelfeytMONOGRAM BOOKSAshley Helvey

MONUMENTCamille Vivier

The main characters of Monument are magical candles that photographer Camille Vivier has been collecting for quite some time. These candles are originally used in macumba and santera religions, as well as voodoo rituals.

Through her candles Vivier gives a new perspective to still life as a classical theme and while she lits them, she questions vanity, memory and the passage of time. Vivier isolates her anthropometric characters from their original intention, and in doing so she grants them autonomy, while enhancing their magical power.

She characterises her images by the delicate use of light and shadow, with the candles themselves serving as the primary source of light. The candles are shown in various stages of burning, with wax dripping down the sides and flam