| Interview réalisé par Dian Hanson pour les éditions TASCHEN How would you describe your erotic work? The pictures speaks for themselve... Where and what year were you born? 1961 in Rueil-malmaison France. Where were you raised and how would you describe your background neighborhood, school life? I spent my childhood in Villiers le Bel, a tought suburb of Paris. It was not a sad place, just full of colorfull people painting there life on a disolving canvas. School was like church. I always ended up in trouble with my Algerian freinds, not that we did bad things, we just did things that others did not tolerate... Where do you live and work now? I live in Paris since a couple of years How and when did you begin taking erotic photographs? My Father was a gambler and a womaniser , apart from being a Bariton singer and électronic ingeneer. He called me Ludovic (wich mean playing in Latin ) and he had a good collection of érotic art books and subscription to the magazine Photo. He took photo as well and we had a dark room in the bathroom. He let me use one of his camera when I was around 19 . I then meet a girl and she posed for me. I took photos for a few month but the cost of paper et chemical was too high and I put the whole thing down. I started taking photos again in 1998, because of the incredible body of my second wife and the low cost of digital photography. Which photographers inspired you initially and which today? Well I think that I was inspired equally by Brassai, Newton,Hamilton, Cartier-bresson,Doisneau with a little touch from Saudek. Of course it is fair to say that all the published photographers have been an influence and I thank them all. Today I look sometime at : Saudek, Joyce tenesson, Annie Leibowitz, Virginie Notte, Dejan Didzar. What separates your work from other contemporary erotic photographers? I hope someone will answer this question for me. Most people say that I have a great respect in the way I show the women body, even in érotic situation. I also like to tell a story with my photos, and I put the modeles in a situation where they have the feeling that they can be themself with confidence. Most of my modeles are amateur and 90% had never posed before when I meet them. Where do you find your models? Most of the time I meet them in Paris's Night Clubs. I go to most of the fétish party in the underground caves. I also put classified in papers. I tried the internet , but most girls are there for the money and I have none. What makes a perfect model? The désire to be a modele. Does the ³muse² concept enter into your work? It did with my first modele. I hope to find another muse, it's so magical to be atracted to someone in a artistic way. I have a few modeles with who I almost comunicate by thélépathie. I have one model with who I just cannot make a bad photo, it's just crazy, it's scares me... What is the biggest obstacle you face in creating your photographs and in showing your erotic work? Creating photographs is not dificult, but showing it is. Even in Paris it is hard to show diferent erotic art, not enought galery almost no printed support like art magazine. Internet is the best way so far for me, and I am happy with the freedom of choice that it procures me . Do you recognize a line between erotic photography and pornography, and if so, where does it lie? Well I think that érotic can be pornography, but pornography is seldom érotic. Pornogrphy is here for those who have no desir of imagination, who are unrespectfull toward women's body, who see sex as a violent way of affirming themself. But there is a guy named Andrew Blake who make good porn movie, we call that Porn Art... I think that erotic art should make you want to love the person you see when it's porno you want to F Can, or should, a photo be called erotic that doesn¹t arouse lust? I think I just responded to this question. What is your ultimate career goal? Being published by Tashen under my name. To make érotic movies that inspire man to treat woman with respect. How would you like to be remembered? As a great lover, a good musicien , the most diversified photographer. A decent father. What turns you on? Girls in high heels boots with latex clothings and a strap-on. A 45 feet sloop. A hammac beetween two coconuts trees. My girlfriend. Do you prefer film or digital, and why? What equipment are you using currently? I use a Olympus E20 for economical reason. I prefer digital for now, but I will go back to film when I start making it. But I must say that digital is fantastic, it's just completly diferent aproach to photography. How does the Internet affect your professional life (do you have a website)? Internet is a wonderfull thing, I am completly satisfied with it. I have a website ludovicgoubet.com |
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