Clémentine Schneidermann traces the legacy of George Brassens in Sète
Although the French poet and singer-songwriter George Brassens passed away over 40 years ago, Clémentine Schneidermann's most recent work is proof that his legacy is really alive in his hometown of Sète.
The series, entitled Sète # 20, is presented in book and exhibition form and is the highlight of Schneidermann's month-long residency organized by the local photography association CéTàVOIR. Each year a photographer is invited to produce a series with Sète and his people for the association's ongoing imageSingulières collection, which aims to create a step-by-step patchwork of photographic perspectives on the city.
All pictures from Sète # 20 by Clémentine Schneidermann
Schneidermann is well known for her extensive work in South Wales, where she collaborated with creative director Charlotte James on her acclaimed "It's Called Ffasiwn" series which erased post-industrial stereotypes projected onto the region.
While this project focused in part on local children in the area, at her work in Sète she trains her lens for a wider range of people. "It's very young, but also old at the same time," she tells CR. Because of this, it is difficult to determine the character that underlies people. Instead, she notes that Sète is more defined by its surroundings on the south-east coast of France, where "the sea and light shape the city in a unique way".
The series includes a mixture of portraits, still lifes and landscape photographs aimed at discovering traces of Brassens' legacy, be it in memorabilia and relics or in the people themselves. Some motifs bear an uncanny resemblance to the moustached poet, who often was captured with a pipe out of his mouth and a cat somewhere nearby.
“Georges Geist is definitely present in Sète,” explains Schneidermann, who was looking for signs and connections to him. "People who knew him, but also collectors, musicians, lookalikes, cabaret restaurants, places he went to as a teenager with his friends."
Searching for these obscure clues almost felt like a game, she says. “For example, he really loved cats. And when I got to Sète, maybe because it's a fishing village, I saw cats everywhere. I've played with references to Brassens, sometimes not always obvious, but it amused me. Reasoning that non-French people might not get all of the references, I tried to create pictures that could live outside of Brassens. "
The photo book calls into question the typical images of coastal photography, which are often saturated or bleak and gray, especially when depicting port cities. Instead, Schneidermann's palette consists of soft pastel tones and muted tones, an organic product of the colors that she got to know during her month-long stay over the winter.
“I mainly work with natural light and Sète has a specific color palette,” she explains. “There's an interesting contrast (and contradiction) between the blue of the sea and the warmth of the city. These two different palettes intrigued me and I tried to navigate between the two. "
The work in the winter months not only shaped the colors in the photos, but also the atmosphere. “There was a special atmosphere that was more authentic than, for example, in summer. People often say that the “real” Sète is in winter, as opposed to summer, which is a major tourist season, ”she says. Schneidermann noted that the locals entrusted her with their portraits, as they were familiar with the annual initiative, as evidenced by the confident looks of their subjects and their inconspicuous shots in their homes.
Having developed much of her practice abroad, creating a work in her native France was a novel experience. “It felt kind of easier, but also more challenging, because I often think that when I speak French in comparison to English, I treat people differently,” she tells us. "I think I got used to being the 'foreigner'. So it was strange to lose that and not let me ask where I came from."
However, due to the personal connection between Schneidermann and Brassens, whose presence can be felt throughout the project, there was a certain sense of homecoming. "I also grew up with Georges Brassens at school and at home, so it felt very familiar to dive into this universe."
Book set No. 20 can be ordered here. The exhibition runs until October 11th in the Chapelle du Quartier Haut in Sete. la-mid.fr