Ethnography and anthropology describe and compare different types of societies. The ethnologistactsbeforehand by gathering data on the ground. This is the angle with which I chose to interveneby exploring the anonymous intimacy of urban society.
« The man on the street », seen in his original urban scenery is almost invisible, disappearing into the fog of the crowd. Transplanted in dissimilar spaces he acquires another status and becomes an everyday hero. We find him rooted, exposing tangible details; suits, phones, earphones, name tags and other objects give us neutral insights into a social category.
The dichotomy between the figures and the surrounding landscapes plunges us into a surrealist vertigo. These fictional situations materialize into an imaginary scenography. The pixelization of the faces supplants any suspicion of uncertainty. Yes the work is digital, and fulfilled as such. These primary digital units, laid there on the photographiclevel, assert that the work isindeed allegorical.
But to what goal do these characters stride forward in this improbable scenery? They seem to be drifting aimlessly, unconscious of the reality of their environment. Could they have missed a major crossroads in the evolution of our society? Do Humans, as conveyors of planetary interactions, really control their impact on the future of human society?
© Jean-Pierre Attal