castles in the air: 06.2010

Chrono, New York, 2007
Photograph printed on stainless steel

Nicolas Ruel’s body of work consists of large format images printed on sheets of stainless steel (Inox), the material in which initially inspires Ruel. Throughout his travels, Ruel has developed a collection of portraits of places photographed around the world such as Cambodia, Bali, Moscow, Prague, and Mexico. Based on what could be described as an intuitive photographic practice, he superimposes abstract or minimalist images with bold tonalities and dramatic, mesmerizing contrasts to magnify the actions and spectacle of the city, creating a balance between dream and reality. Although his work references the historical; the very beginnings of photography in the 19^th century and to the daguerreotype, it also calls on a unique process using cutting-edge technology, as stainless steel has recently become a new evolution in photography. In other words, Ruel’s compilations are an invitation to discovery, which is, itself, timeless. Works from his Inox series follow his recent exhibitions; 8 Secondes, Refraction, and Elements, which, like Inox, also display his odes to creation and humanity.