We take a closer look at the work of Xavier Guardans, a photographer fascinated by light
Who? An avid traveller, photographer Xavier Guardans is on a quest to capture the charm of the natural world. Currently based in Brooklyn, it was his two years living in Japan that marked a change in his work, making him “turn down the volume” of his photographs. Equipped with colour film and a Rolleiflex, he works on delicately capturing the beauty of simplicity, as shown in his photobook Traveling Lights.
What? The second volume in five, Traveling Lights is part of a complete series exploring light and minimalism. This volume holds 40 photos, taken along Guardans’ travels though the various environments of Egypt, the United States, Senegal, Vietnam, Spain, China, Kenya, Belize and Argentina. Over the course of ten years’ travelling, light has become the core thread in his work, tying together the divergent environments captured in his pictures. From Egypt’s desert to the Torre Glacier in Patagonia or a Mexican beach juxtaposed with oil derricks in Azerbaijan, his photographs explore the effect of light on these natural environments throughout the world.
Why? "Photography is painting with light, everything else comes after that. It’s the light that dominates the whole story". Obsessed with nature and light, Guardans has traveled the world to seek out the most mesmerising and exceptional natural phenomena. The different lighting in his photographs creates a surreal but revelatory atmosphere, while sometimes subtly emphasizing the human touch in nature. In this way, Guardans’ own artistic style charmingly mingles with the exposure of and our connection to natural beauty.
Traveling Lights is out now, published by Damiani Editore
