“I think my work is profoundly my vision of this world; an inside feeling worn by the outside. A way to express myself, I hope I can translate an emotion or a message to an audience.”

French photographic artist Helene Antorini spoke to us about her recent work Hubris. A photographic body of work depicting the greed of men and it's influence on nature. Through the use of allegory and semiotics comes a sombre narrative on the Greek term Hubris - an excessive self pride or confidence; a term used in Greek tragedy to denote mans defiance of the Gods.

The hubris, is a Greek notion which is often translated by "immoderation". It is a violent feeling inspired by the passions, particularly by the pride of the man that is guilty of wanting more that the part which is attributed to him, nevertheless the hubris establishes the fundamental fault in this civilisation. The man who commits the hubris is guilty of wanting more that the part which is attributed to him by the partition destinale. In this series I questioned the relationship between nature and the human being. Both are being bound, I try to distinguish a human form in nature in a metaphorical elaboration of a programmed end ....

Tell us more about you and your artwork.

I'm French-Swiss autodidacte photographer. My first passion start with dance. I became a professional dancer and leave for Paris to live with my passion. I started to work in the famous music halls : Folies berg'es, Crazy horse Saloon, Moulin Rouge, Alcazar etc. When there I started took pictures from the back stages where I used to work and I published my work in magazines like, Photo, 20 ans, Revue th'tre de la bastille, and other famous periodic of the moment. For several years I collaborate as an author and photographer for different press agencies.

How did you plan for this project? What was your creative process?

I did not plan this project I was in Costa Rica after the hurricane, and I saw this place like a cemetery of dead trees. It really inspires me. The creative process start there.

What work inspires or has inspired you? (Specifically which artists and why)

I try not to be inspired by the others even if it is very difficult specially with the medium of photography. I really like the work of Bill Brandt he really have a visual signature. Its work is impressed of mystery strangeness and surrealism.Only hopes the determination of the author to express his imaginary. Brandt considered that to develop a photograph was a fundamental stage for the completion of an image and devoted much time to the laboratory. Of course there are so many others would be too long to explain.

Are there any artistic movements you enjoy in particular and why?

Surrealism, because it is a movement under the influence of the unconscious.

New realism, who use existing objects to return the reality of their time.

Land art sought to bind art and the life, to stop producing works intended to be only admired in museums.This tradition remained in several contemporary artists who work directly in nature. Works are often transitory and become durable only via photography.

Do you have any opinions or ideals underlying your art ?

I think my work is profoundly my vision of this world an inside feeling wear by the outside, definitely a way to express myself, I hope I can translate an emotion or a message when people look at my work.

Your series Hubris is really fascinating. A photographic rhetoric on human pride. Comparing driftwood and wood to the human form gives these inanimate objects almost a sensual feel. Can you comment more on your theory behind this body of work?

The trees like essential link of Alive. I undertakes to draw up portraits of them, as as metaphor of a rape nature in a surrealist way, (the subject lends itself to it well) a cynical visual premonition...of decapitated heads, amputated legs, detachable breasts and a fusion of male and female.

My devise under the image of the body, the body of the image, that is what I try to do.

Any words for aspiring photographers ?

Follow your feeling, being passionated and keep trying again and again.?here are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.Ansel Adams.

Is there anything you're currently working on ?

Of course, but it is a secret now...

Do you have any upcoming shows?

I had a collective exhibition with the LensCulture Street Photography Awards and SF Camerawork gallery in November 2017 in San Francisco (I was one of the finalists!). I am currently waiting to hear back about future work.