DEAD LEAVES

NAOUAL PELEAU

// Naoual, a photo artist based in France, loves to experiment with one of the oldest photographic techniques, anthotypes, which uses natural leaves and sometimes sap to create images. With her “dead leaves” series she speaks to the ephemeral nature of natural beauty.

My photography is mostly about experimentation and research. I like to manipulate the image and its support, transform and also destroy. As a very clumsy person, I must leave some space for accidents and mistakes. Part of the creative process is beyond my control. It’s a space of freedom and the unexpected. In my research I try to maintain a balance between an accidental creation and a successful experience. I am fascinated by every fragile thing and I want to witness the metamorphosis. In an intimate and autobiographical practice, I deal with subjects such as solitude, death or the relation with my body.

“…beauty consists of its own passing, just as we reach for it. It’s the ephemeral configuration of things in the moment, when you can see both their beauty and their death.”

Muriel Barbery
(The Elegance of the Hedgehog)

What draws you to the arts?

Creating makes me feel alive and helps cure depression.

What do you like most about this particular project?

The experimental process and the fact that I have used living material

An anthotype is an image created from photosensitive substances from plants. The discovery of anthotype photography can be attributed to several individuals. In 1816, the German chemist August Vogel made a fascinating discovery: when an alcoholic tincture of red carnations, violets, or corn poppy was exposed to sunlight behind blue glass, it turned white, while remaining unchanged behind red glass. This revelation hinted at the possibility of harnessing plant pigments to capture light and form images. Fast forward to 1839, the English polymath Sir John Herschel is credited with the exploration of anthotypes. Through extensive experiments with diverse plant pigments, Herschel demonstrated their ability to produce intricate and otherworldly images.

Noual´s series was a summer and sun project:

I did it between May and September 2023. The principle is very simple: After printing pictures on a transparent plastic sheet, I arrange them upon the leaves according to their shape on my body or face. I use linden leaves, as their shape is the closest to mine. If each exposure is unique, I can reproduce the image many times. Depending on the size and shape of the leaves, I can outline my entire body or cut it out. Then I place them between two glass plates and let it expose in the sun for several hours. The sunlight will mark the exposed parts and so reveal the image. The result are very fragile leaves, still sensitive to the sun.

It is a reflection on the passing of time and the fear of growing old. I want to talk about sensitivity, fragility and the ephemeral nature of life.

We love alternative photographic processes! Naoual makes dead leaves very much come alive with her photo art. The beauty and interesting aspect of anthotypes is their ephemeral nature, they keep on changing with further exposure.

Some images may be cropped for formatting. Click on the photos to see a larger image in original dimensions.