On the Day of German Unity, October 3, 2014, Frédérick Carnet photographed the family of his future wife emptying their pond of water and collecting its fish. This is a regular occurrence, taking place every two or three years, so the fish can be transferred to clean water and eaten throughout the year. The series depicts one day in the life of a family, meeting around their pond to collect a source of food that will sustain them during the year to come. Despite the displacement of the animals, the moments pictured seem so pleasant, ordinary, and pure. Carnet has created a wide variety of photographic projects, many of them dark or jarring, and I appreciate this group of pictures about a family from Saxony spending the day with their pond and their fish.
From the artist’s statement: This series could be seen as a kind of documentary photographic piece of work, but for me, it is part of a whole photographic process called Chronicles of an Absolute. Since 2009, I’ve been shooting constantly to find answers. Lost in a world I hardly understand, every series I build gives me keys to determine my own personality. I see my photography as a quest to a better knowledge of myself, a way to give up with my fears, my anger, my soreness, my lack of confidence.
From “Der Leere Teich (The Empty Pond)”
Visit artist's site: frederickcarnet.com
Posted December 21st, 2016
