The “Invasions de Ballons” is the latest series by French photographer and artist Charles Pétillon. ‘Invasions’ brings the balloons to retrofuturistic architecture designed in the late ’70s and early ’80s to examine our visions of the future and how quickly they become obsolete. Invasions is an army of white globes bursting out of buildings and structures. ‘CO2’ represents the scars we leave upon the world with our lust for objects like cars. The artist sees the balloons as a way to visualize each of these ways in which we thoughtlessly proliferate, invade or evolve.
Maison de la Photographie, where his photo series will be exhibited from February 20 to March 22, describes Pétillon’s work as a “dialogue between the photographer and space” and “fragments of a reality without limits”. “Each balloon has its own dimensions and yet is part of a giant but fragile composition. This fragility is represented by contrasting materials and also the whiteness of the balloons. All details of these installations will eventually disappear becoming nothing more than a simple form.”, Pettilon explains on his website.
INVASIONS DE BALLONS from Charles Pétillon on Vimeo.
Each photograph depicts a particular metaphor, making a statement on various topics. ‘Family Memories,’ top, shows the white balloons “symbolizing childhood naivety,” while ‘Play Station 2? aims to “question the viewer on the uses of games in all forms, their evolution and their influence in society.”
The forest scene, entitled ‘Mutation 2,’ mimics the molecular structure of DNA, placing it in a picturesque environment to symbolize the effect of humans on natural spaces, with our tendency to modify everything to our own uses.