Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

The new book 'Chrysalises' self-published by Guillaume Tomasi is the result of a long maturation process, of persevering dedication. An autobiographical book even before being intimate. But first the title. Chrysalis in zoology indicates a nymphal, or pupal, stage of butterflies. How does this concept relate to your photographs? «It all started one night when my two-year-old son, who was in a fever, asked me in his sleep where the butterflies had gone. My grandfather told me when I was younger that a butterfly flying in the wild was a sign that nature was healthy. My son's question then challenged me on the fact that as parents we tend to present the world in a watered-down way to protect them. One day this curtain will fall and they will see the world with their own eyes. So I wanted to know through what event they would discover this other reality. Then this desire evolved into an obsession where I was eager to know everyone's anecdotes. The texts of this project are the transcriptions of intimate events of perfect strangers that I collected by randomly dropping more than sixty letters all over the island of Montreal.» 

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

The title 'Chrysalises', therefore, refers to the question that initiated the project but also to a feeling of evolution and change. The chrysalis is the obligatory step between the caterpillar and the butterfly. Moreover, this ephemeral cocoon must be destroyed if the caterpillar wants to evolve, just like those people who, during their lives, see their little bubble broken by the hazards of life.

But why a book? The interest in photo books came late, a little before he was thirty. Around the same time, Guillaume decided to change his career to devote himself to photography. «The photo book gives me this feeling of being able to lose myself in the images, in a timeless space where any interpretation is possible.» The book remains for the French author the ideal format to appreciate photography. It's a durable, intimate object that is accessible at any time. The place and the moment when one chooses to read a photo book influence to a lesser degree the interpretation of the images, individually and as a whole.

© Guillaume Tomasi from the series 'Chrysalises'

Chrysalises also contains several texts and Guillaume wanted to make sure that they take up as much space as the photos. They are the essence of the project, although they did not directly influence his images, as they appeared sporadically throughout the project. «They redefined the way I look around me. However, they do not interfere with the images because they are placed at the end of the book, in a booklet dedicated to them. I wanted through this choice of design, to subtly respond to the concept of the book: the first reading will never be the same, after having read through the texts at the end. Like all these anonymous authors who have evolved following an intimate event.»

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

I see in this book a sort of syllabary to approach Guillaume Tomasi as a photographer. Or rather to grasp some aspects of the metamorphosis that is described in thick strokes in the final letters. So I asked him what prompted him to express himself through images?  «I'm very interested in symbols and metaphors. Before, I was looking for pure aesthetics, "the beautiful picture". With this project, I started taking photos not for what they represent, but rather for how they can express it. The notion of metamorphosis is very present, as you say. I spent three years looking for situations where I could symbolize this feeling. Whether it is in a change in the mundane, ephemeral situation, an atypical posture, an atmosphere, a color palette, etc... That's what's magic about photography: it's a visual language where each element can corroborate an idea.» Or contradict it. But all this is left to the spectator's sole appreciation. That's the complexity of the medium, but it opensup a multitude of possibilities.

© Guillaume Tomasi from the series 'Chrysalises'

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

The relationship with nature is key to access this collection of photographs. Shots that mask moods, meaningful emotions. A shot of light on a sofa, a child rolling on the lawn, the ripples of the water, a spring bloom. Guillaume grew up in the French countryside. The village where he lived was located just a few minutes from the Swiss border and Geneva. This combination of large cereal landscapes and green nature with the multicultural urban dynamism was an interesting mix of scenery. When he moved to Canada, he discovered another, much larger setting. A curious mix between all the North American codes he had absorbed as a child and a subtle European atmosphere. Maybe subconsciously, he is looking for this pattern through his work. And Montreal is the perfect place where the two coexist. «These two universes also allow me to build the introspective and poetic tone of the project», he says. 

© Guillaume Tomasi from the series 'Chrysalises'

Another call that I strongly feel is that of childhood. I have the impression that in this colorful diary a few pages tell of paternity, of seeing your children grow up, and above all of remembering what we have become. Trying to make these feelings into pictures is simply magical. Well, maybe this book has some magic, something that grabs you without understanding why… «Fatherhood and childhood are very much in evidence. I stopped being "a child" as soon as I realized that someone would depend on me. But I also realized that you never really leave childhood. It builds us up and accompanies us all the time. That's what started the project, what will my children's childhood be like? How are they going to get out of it? Through theirs, I also wonder about mine.»

© Guillaume Tomasi from the series 'Chrysalises'

True, but there is also something disturbing in the metamorphosis, in the body that is transformed, that ages, that evolves. There is something that is not easy to explain. And here I come to a third reading hypothesis. Each of us is looking for something to love. And it's not entirely understandable. And it all comes from there in some way. In Guillaume' photographs, there is something that moves because it expresses a desire, a need for comprehension. After all, each of us needs a little consolation from the world, thus avoiding to feel too alone. «We're meant to be surrounded. We've seen it recently with the lockdown. It's very difficult to be alone and everyone is looking for a presence, whether concrete or abstract.» I must agree indeed... and then Guillaume closes with a further question: «I mean, isn't the real motivation, given our ephemeral existence on this planet, what kind of memory we're going to leave behind?»

Still of the book 'Chrysalises' by Guillaume Tomasi, self-published 2020

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INFO BOOK
88 pages + 16 pages
46 color photographs + 13 anonymous stories
8 x 10 inches (24 x30 cm) + 4x6 inches (10 x 15 cm) booklet
Interior: Rolland Opaque Offset True White 200M & Lynx True White 160M
Hardcover with silver foil stamping
Edition of 250 copies
Year 2020
ISBN 978-2-9818648-0-2
Design by Simon Roy


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LINKS
Guillaume Tomasi (personal website)