Tommy Goguely
Bordeaux, France
Website
www.tommygoguely.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
Well... I consider my photographic work more as an essay, using images instead of words to address theoretical questions. Among other things, I seek to question the evolution of the photographic medium in the era of its alleged demise following the advent of digital technology.
In a nutshell, I am not entirely convinced by the mainstream approach that uses the supposed digital 'revolution' as a pretext to bypass the deadlock encountered by essentialist theses, thus leading today's critical discourse to adopt the term – problematic in my view – of 'post-photography.' In my opinion, digital technology acts only as a revealer of our inability to encase photography within a coherent theoretical framework, and so since its very invention. I believe that there is also a good chance that this is only the relationship we maintain with photography (belief, truth, diffusion, etc.) that changes with digital, and not the medium itself. I'm actually planning on writing something on the subject someday. But maybe I should stop here before delving into overly abstract considerations...
What inspires you?
As you may have noticed, photography theories are central in my creative process. I also try to stay alert for the symptoms of our society's evolution towards increased digitalization. Furthermore, originating from a scientific background, experimental processes still play a significant role in my work. Indeed, by 'playing against the apparatus' (like, for instance, messing with electronic sensors), experimental photography allows for a closer look at the materiality of the image, at what really makes that a photograph is, well, what it is. I also try as often as possible to visit exhibitions, whether of photography or of art in general, as I sometimes draw inspiration by chance from encounters with artworks or artists not directly related to my practice.
Can you speak about your process?
I’ve got lots of ideas, which come to me, for example, while reading or visiting exhibitions; I have a whole list of them... but bringing them to life is often quite a different story! It usually requires a lot of preliminary research, both on practical and theoretical aspects, site visits, and so on. Then comes a phase of experimentation to ensure that the project is feasible from a technical perspective. And from there, it tends to evolve based on the results, often becoming something rather different from what I had in mind at the beginning.
How did you become interested in art?
I initially learned photography on my own, alongside my engineering studies. At that time, I focused primarily on the technical aspects, often using long exposures and filters, as my main objective was to create appealing pictures. However, after a while, I realized that the pursuit of formal aesthetics alone was not stimulating enough. That's when I decided to enroll in evening classes at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts, where I attended courses in Photography and in Art History for three years. It was then that I began to delve into photography theories, which finally led me to incorporate a more conceptual dimension into my work.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
I admire many different artists, from Whistler to Rothko, but also Sol Lewitt, Ed Ruscha, Bernard Frize, Gerhard Richter, or Hiroshi Sugimoto, to name a few. I really enjoy Christopher Nolan's movies. And as for quotes, I'll have to limit myself to a small sample of my many favorites :
'To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim.' – Oscar Wilde
'I prefer to question photography rather than practice it.' – Thomas Ruff
‘Everybody looks at reality, but few people see it. The artist is not the one that makes the invisible visible: that really is romanticism, although not the worst kind. The artist is the one who makes visible what’s already visible and everybody looks at and nobody can or nobody knows how or nobody wants to see. Probably nobody wants to see.’ – Javier Cercas
'A good photograph is always a manifesto.' – Jan Dibbets
Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?
Having at one point considered a career in physics fundamental research, I find that art is somewhat more fulfilling compared to science, where one can spend a lifetime seeking answers that will likely take even longer than that to materialize. Although art and science undeniably share similarities in their processes, particularly in terms of creativity and innovation, in art, there are no right or wrong answers to provide. Sometimes, asking questions can even be more relevant than finding the answers...
