Jean-Brice Viaud

is a Paris-based architect (BS, Architecture, Versailles; MS, Architecture, UIUC) who co-founded Fassio-Viaud Architects in 1993. Illustration and photography are his 2nd passion. He has exhibited drawings and photographs on several occasions, with his last photograph exhibition at the espace commines in paris, in 2012. In his work he explores light , perspective and combined geometries. He lived and worked in Chicago (with Élisabeth Harbonn) where both met most of the American artists/long-time friends present in the show.

JB est architecte, basé à Paris (DPLG d’architecture Versailles, Masters d’architecture Université d’Illinois USA.) Il a co-fondé Fassio-Viaud Architects en 1993. L’illustration et la photo sont ses autres passions. Il a exposé des dessins ainsi que des photos à plusieurs occasions.Sa dernière exposition photo date de 2012 à l’espace commine à paris. Son travail explore les combinaisons géométriques de la lumière et de la perspective. Il a vécu et travaillé à Chicago (avec Elisabeth Harbonn) où ils ont rencontré la plupart des artistes/amis américains présent dans cette exposition.

Genesis and apocalypse
For a long time - until the last exhibit - I approached photography as a instant, a moment of grace where place, light and my mind could combine beautifully in one single shot. Some of these shots - these magic moments - were unexpected, some were provoked, some were planned in advance. The photographs were ambiguous, collage-like to certain eyes - to the point I envisioned new possible combinations to reach that graceful goal with big montages - with montage as a new ways to explore perspective and transform the perception of known archetypes. I had started working on a religious series of small funny collages done on the iPhone when commuting, and felt these could a good starting point for large formats. I ended up focusing on a series derived from 4 church porches i had photographed three years ago to produce two visions each of The Genesis and The Apocalypse. These porches - photographed from strict low angles - became receptacles for textured photographs of ruins, garbage, critical expression of religious disintegration or photographs of source or nénuphars - a kind of poetic expression of religious values.