paul youenn

Skin Memory

2017

In collaboration with my grandmother 

Material research 

With this skin memory, I want to show the beauty of seniority.
I tried to highlight wrinkles with a photographic series. I asked people with lived experience to be my subject, my material. I taped their bodies to create a contrast between a surface with wrinkles, with information and a smooth, uninspiring surface.
When I took off the tape, a pattern appeared. I realized that we all had a unique skin pattern that evolves with our experience.
After that, I transposed this skin pattern on something we can wear, take in our arms: an animal skin.
With leather, I recreated skin to skin contact. I like the weight of the material on my shoulders, it's like wearing the story of the person.
Without all these asperities, the skin pattern would be without interest. 


 

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