Municipal Pool
Malakoff - Châtillon, France, 2003.
In the summertime, the pool of the suburban town of Châtillon–Malakoff, located just outside and to the south of Paris, is one of the biggest draws of any swimming pool in the Paris area. The Olympic-sized outdoor pool and its surrounding lawns attract up to 2,500 people daily. Some come to swim, others to cool off, while yet others set out picnic spreads, flirt or doze off. The crowd is remarkably varied – socially, culturally and in terms of age group. This broad human spectrum was what initially inspired this project.
In July 2003, I set up an outdoor studio near the pool to take portraits of anonymous persons in swimsuits. There is nothing natural, neither than truth in these portraits. These photographs are the product of a long and often arduous exchange between me and the model: make self-sacrifice to make public his image. Embody, by the photographic representation, the singular presence to the world of each, while celebrating his beauty.