Personal photography projects generally are meant to pull the photographer out of a creative rut or to work on a piece that draws the artist away from the boredom that can occur from shooting the same work over and over. For Sophie Palmier it was about shooting boredom itself in a new way.
Palmier, of Pont Sainte Maxence/Paris, wanted to capture images of the monotony that causes boredom in our workplaces everyday. “[The] lack of activity, the absurdity of the tasks to fulfill, and in this project I wanted to address the lack of meaning,” wrote Palmier. While boredom may seem just part of the job, it can have serious consequences such as depression, anger, and lower self-esteem. Palmier set out to create this project with all of this in mind but had to do so in a small, confined 129 square foot space.
The Process
The process was now or never for Palmier. She admitted that the hardest part was thinking there was a perfect and right moment. She chose the people for each type of job from a list of those she had worked with in the past. The models ranged from comedians, to models, to engineers. She even included herself in one of the jobs as to experience life in front of the camera as well. The jobs were chosen from research she examined showing the tasks that were considered to have the majority of these traits.
The beauty of this project is that the majority of viewers can relate in one way or another. We have all had that one type of employment that could bring us to exhaustion from lack of mental creativity. These images bring to life what most everyone has felt at one time or another. For more behind-the-scenes looks into how the project was created, please visit Palmier's website.
All images with permission and courtesy of Sophie Palmier.
awesome
These are great.
Love it!