Incubus’ Choice: Close-up on In the studio (Cyril)

What message(s) do you want to express through your work?

That depends of the work. As regards crucifixions, the message turns round to the massive use of woman representation. Almost a religious experience for some (that is no more adoration, it’s worship), the picture of (nude) woman, sensual, sweet, offered and complaisant is nevertheless a dreadfully affective weapon for mass media. Quite as the picture of Christ I mix with the picture of woman and that I set according to the Christlike canons (this is a corruption). Then I let the viewers free to enrich my digressions by their own imagination. Photo is also that thing, a game between connotation and denotation, a hide and seek with meaning. Concerning other photos (self-portraits), I try to take the opposite position to social beliefs: female = sensuality and male = virility. Nature has given us a body that differs according to sex, but culture gives a particular interpretation to it. Eroticism does not only arise from woman, this is a game with two players. And this is also a funny experience to end up as model after having “tormented” so many people.

Which artists inspire you?, who are your masters?

They are so numerous! Let’s quote the main part of them: Pierre and Gilles, Anette Messagier, Magritte, Burne Jones, Dali… I also feed myself with some “images” from a vast collective imagination born in the twists and turns of some fantasy, science-fiction or erotica writers (Poe, Anaïs Nin, A. Rice, King…), in advertising, in movies… all that makes our society rooted in Image.

What have you gained by being on the internet?

Anonymity: so few visitors appear to be curious about myself. They are themselves anonymous up to 75 percent as they left almost no track of their visit through my pages. They want to see without being seen, so they become discreet. And even if I pose openly, my anonymity is guaranteed by their (guilty?) silence. The internet is such a stange world…

Did the internet enable you to meet new models, to find new exhibit places?

I had only one modeling offer (a man), and no exhibition offer. This is a shame anyway as the whole Crucifixion part can be fully exhibited (this is big, a cross on a scale of one), the rest of it is only living on the digital web.

Could you tell us a few words about the place you live/work in?

France, Bouches-du-Rhône, Marseille… and that’s all (laughters)

Close-up on…