Didier Legrand diversifies his artistic projects. Being it drawing or photography he works on the image in all possible forms. Recently he has decided to enable the public to discover his photography.

JS- Didier Legrand, what artistic formation do you have?

Didier Legrand- I was admitted to Applied Arts and Art Trades School when I was eighteen. The competitive examination was very difficult. Only 10 of 400 applicants were received. I attempted the examination twice before being successful for admittance. My parents gave me a NIKON F1 (the Rolls Royce of cameras at that time) as a congratulations gift.

JS- Designer, Artistic Director, Photograph…

Didier Legrand- When I finished school, I worked in a design and interior architecture business called "Cutch" which was located near the "Trou des Halles" in Paris. I drew a lot, in fact too much to my mind and the inspiration and ideas escaped me. The manager of the business wanted me to take over the business, but at 25, I had other ambitions. Later in 1987 a friend and I started an advertising agency. As Artistic Director of the agency "Trinidad", I traveled the world with my camera in hand, photographing everything along the way. I particularly made fashion catalogs and worked with very famous models, Karen Mulder, Carla Bruni, Eva Herzigova, Laetitia Casta and Naomi Campbell.

JS- And now what are your projects?

Didier Legrand- Since 1995, when I left Paris for the countryside, I have been an Independent Artistic Director. I have accumulated more that 5000 photos pertaining to my travels. My desire is to be able to share these photos with a greater number of people, and my entourage has encouraged me with this idea. So now I am going on an adventure with this new project to eventually publish all these years of captured images.

JS- How do you approach photography?

Didier Legrand- In the 70's while visiting an exhibition of one of the greatest American Pop Artists, Robert Rauschenberg, my vision of seeing the world changed in only a few seconds. When I left this exhibition, my entire artistic life would be influenced by this man.
I have a certain way of looking. Looking at objects, inscriptions, characters, the light that everyone sees everyday but does not look at. I stop, observe and put them in scene. I make a graphic composition with the light, the proportions and the framing in the format of my lens.
Recently I read a citation of Robert Rauschenberg’s "The artist's work should be the testimony of his time in history. I desire to integrate in my canvas various objects of life"
I have finally realized that unconsciously, since about forty years, my artistic life and the manner in which I look at things has been guided by this man.

I try to show beauty there where most people don't see it.

Julie Snasli
Journalist Art and Architecture

Jsnasli@gmail.com