ChinaPictorial(CP):Youhavebeendoingalotofportraitsofpeoplewhoholdpowerinsocietytoday,alongsideshootsofsculpturesmeanttocapturepowerfiguresfromRomanAntiquity.WhattraitsdotheFrenchPresidentandcorporateCEOssharewiththepeopledepictedinthesesculptures?
OlivierRoller(OR):Thebigquestionformewhileworkingis:Whydomenofpowerdevotetheirlivestoacauseoranorganization?Ithinktheyleadverytoughlives.Thedevotionrequiredbysuchpositionswouldbeexhausting.Thesepeopledon’thavefreetime.Itendtothinkthatfearofdeathmotivatesmanyofthem.Theywanttoextendtheirgreatinfluencebeyondtheirownlivesbychangingtheworld.Butultimately,theirinfluencedwindles.Eventhegreatestempireseventuallyend.TheRomanEmpirewascontrollingmuchoftheworld,andnowallthatisleftistime-wornstones.Butthemortalityofeverythingonlymakesourexistenceevenmoretouchingandbeautiful.Thisattitudetowardsbeautyistheheartofmywork.
CP:Howdidyougetaccesstophotographthesculpturesinstudiocondition?
OR:IwasveryluckytobuildapartnershipwiththeLouvreMuseum.TheyletmegothereeveryTuesday,whenit’sclosed,forsixmonths.Ibroughtlightsandablackbackdroptocreatestudioconditionsthere.Itwasanincredibleexperience.IbuiltaveryspecialrelationshipwiththesculpturesIphotographed.Itevengotabitcrazyattimes.MyassistanttoldmethatIwasspeakingtothesculptures,andIdidn’tevenrealizeit.IusedthesametechniqueswiththesculpturesasIdidwithlivingmodels,butitwasmuchmoredifficulttogetgoodpictures.WhenIshootpeople,IhavearoutineonwhichIcanrely,butwiththesculptures,Ihadtostartfromscratcheverytime.Itrequiredalotoftrialanderror,butwasultimatelyamindblowingexperience.
PortraitofageneralfromtheTerracottaArmyinXi’an.byOlivierRollerCP:HowdidyoustartincludingChinainyourproject?
OR:Iwantedtoexpandthehistoricalangleofmyproject,andIfoundtheopportunitytoworkonChinaaftertheFrenchembassycontactedme.IknewnothingaboutChina,butfounditaveryexcitingchallenge.Intheend,Ifellinlovewiththecountry–itsculture,regions,people,history,andeventhefood.AndIwasblessedwiththeopportunitytotakepicturesoftheterracottawarriorsinXi’anexactlylikeIdidattheLouvre.Iamtheonlyforeignphotographertoevergetthechancetodothat,soIamextremelylucky.
CP:DoyouplantodomoreworkinChina?
OR:Ido.ThisisalreadymysecondtriptoChina,andIjustdidsomemorework.Thepicturesofthegeneralsofterracottaarmywereshotduringmyfirsttrip.TheywereexhibitedinXi’an,ChangshaandBeijing.Ihaveneverreturnedtoworkinaforeigncountryagainjustaftervisitingforanotherproject.UsuallyIcome,shoot,haveasmallshow,andgohome.Thingsaredifferentthistime,andIwanttokeepworkingonChinaforawhile.
CP:Tellusmoreaboutyourexperienceshootingtheterracottagenerals.
OR:Thiswasmyfirstopportunitytoshootterracottaasamaterial.Ithasaveryspecialtextureandreactstolightinasingularway.Itwasaverypleasingexperience.Moreover,becauseterracottaismadeofearth,waterandfire,itseemsdeeplyconnectedtotheChinesetheoriesabouttheelementstome.Workingwiththesculpturesbetterconnectedmetohistoryandculture.IreallyfeltthatIwasfacingapersonwholived2,200yearsago.Itwasanamazingandjoyfulexperience,likebringingthedeadbacktolife.Itookpicturesoffoursculpturesacrosstwodays,workingtenhoursaday.Ireallylikedthattheoldsculpturesaredamagedabit.Youcanreallyseetheeffectstimehashadonthem,whichbecomesmoretouchinginanerawhenretouchedpicturesarethenorm.Icherishlittleimperfections,whetheronanoldsculptureorsomeone’sface.Tome,defectsarequalitiesandpeopleshouldlikethemselvesbecauseoftheirdefects.
CP:Wheredoyougofromhere?
OR:IwanttotakepicturesofactualpeopleinChina.Iamcurrentlyformulatingaplantomakethishappen.Ihopesomepeoplewillbewillingtoposefortheproject.
PortraitofAndré,financier,manofpowerfromtheseries“FinancialPower”.byOlivierRollerAworkfromOlivierRoller’sXi’anexhibition.byOlivierRollerPortraitoftheheadofasculptureofRomanEmperorLuciusVerus.byOlivierRoller