Did you enjoy doing this self-portrait series? And was it challenging to make different scenarios and photograph yourself?
I did. I’ve practiced photography ‘since I was born.’ My main subjects are non-humans, landscapes, nature mortes, architecture, so it was challenging to try fashion type photography. I enjoyed it.
You managed to do very interesting scenarios and poses showing different styles of clothing with your individual personality; this is sometimes lost thru a normal/standard Fashion shoot with a big team. Was it interesting to do something which you were more in control of visually?
Let’s say that in a normal fashion shoot, I am a player, and here I was, the writer too. What is really interesting with Saint Laurent men’s clothes is that you can really go thru a lot of different male/masculinity visuals; lots of different scenarios can come from it. I like to play with standards of masculinity to show a wider view on the male body/stereotypes.
Some of the images look like they are inspired from Fassbinder’s masterpiece - ‘Querelle’, based on Jean Genet’s novel, with Actor Brad Davis. Is this film an inspiration for you? And maybe even some of your work?
Of course, the whole works of Genet, and Fassbinder too, are a great inspiration to me; the way they are showing male sensibility is precious and rare in society these days, sensibility that’s the word. They show us that a man can have feelings, can be lost, can be a beautiful being, a thief or in prison; I like to open stereotypes, make them wider, and create new forms.
Why did you do the crying shot, with the blue tear, were you feeling emotional about these times?
Lucky me, I always feel emotional about everything. I did the crying shot to give a kind of a melancholic mood, the sailor is far from home, looking for stars of people he desires lost on the ocean.. these tears are to me, the strength of the man, we have all learned that a man shouldn’t cry.. I wanted to show the opposite, my main job as an actor is to make stereotypes come alive, creating new visions of individuals, of men.
