puce_mathieu Mathieu Drouet

Core
1

In Fiction - Brave New World

2012 - 2015

Unadorned Sets

Would you still recognize the sets of Game of Thrones, Indiana Jones, and The Affair without their characters? How well do movie sets replicate the places they’re inspired by? After going through the set of Sergio Leone movies in Andalusia, Mathieu Drouet photographed places tied to works of fiction during his trips to Louisiana (USA), Newfoundland (Canada), the Tabernas Desert (Spain), and Ghent (Belgium). With the house where the Amityville murders happened (which is not where the movies were shot), the set of The Hunger Games, a plantation in Louisiana, a statue of Superman - this series blurs the lines between reality and fiction, the spectacular and the memorable. While some locations are easily identifiable, others merely confirm the power that fictional stories have over our perception of the ordinary.

Fountain with a castle tower and two bears in Andalusia Bodie State Historic Park, Taberbas, Spain abandoned ghost town in Tabernas Desert, Spain Smaill white house, Cabo de Gata, Spain Lighthouse on a hill with blue sky and clouds in the background, Montauk, USA A small chapel on the edge of a mountain road in autumn. Appalaches, USA mountain landscape. forest Appalaches Sculpture of a shark at the entrance. Mobile Alabama THE house in Amityville, New York , USA A woman in a long blue skirt and a pink headband stands on the porch of the house. Lafayette, Louisana woman sitting in a cafe and looking through the blinds. New Orleans, Louisana Signboard in St John's, Newfoundland.
2

Tiny Roads

July 2020 - September 2021

Paths of Constraint

The contours of ’Tiny Roads’ follow the lockdown perimeter established in the province of Valencia at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2020, Mathieu Drouet captured the slower pace of life: closed factories, empty beaches, resorts without tourists, visible signs of the pandemic, along with the pockets of freedom he found within the sanitary restrictions, from stays at a local luxury hotel to gatherings at secluded villas with a small social circle: his partner and close friends.

The lockdown measures in Valencia created the frame of a limited perimeter. The images capture the city and its surroundings, emptied of residents and tourists, but also life in private villas and the sense of melancholic fantasy that hotels provide to locals.

View of the streets of Benidorm. Bingo Sign in Benidorm Young woman tourist with a bag on the background of the city Benidorm Beautiful seascape with blue sky, sea and sand. A young woman with a backpack walking in the park on a sunny day. car parked in the street at night in Benidorm, Spain Palm tree on the beach at night in Spain Sailboats in the marina at night. Interior of a cafe in a modern style Swimming pool with a covid mask in hotel resort Tree on the beach with blue sky and white clouds in summer day Young woman in red swimsuit standing on rock and looking at sea Abandoned silos in the countryside of the town of Valencia, Spain A girl in a pyjama with a cat on the bed. Window on the facade of a modern apartment building. View from below. The moon over the city of Valencia, Spain.
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NAVIRE & MAISON­NETTES

2012

Intime & quotidien

Navire & Maisonnettes is the fruit of a collaboration between Mathieu Drouet and Red, a musician from Lille. With no preconceived ideas, they explored for six months the Vauban district and the Courée Saint-Maurice, which remains a zone of poverty in its district to this day. The residents – new immigrants, social workers, or long-standing residents – are the protagonists of the photography part of the project, casting a kind light on their daily lives, cherished objects, everyday places, and pets. The project evolved with each encounter and at the pace at which individuals allowed the artists into the privacy of their lives.

Typical window in the city of Lille, France Two women sitting on a bench in the courtyard of a residential building, Lille, France Young couple sitting on a wall with a cup of coffee in their hands. Lille, France Portrait of a senior man standing at the counter of a cafe. Lille, France Flowers in pots on the windowsill of a house in Lille, France Little girl with long braids sitting on a chair in the street. Lille, France Open book with green grass on the ground. Lille, France A young woman walking through an old brick building in the city. Lille, France Model of a toy car on an old wooden table in a room Indian family with umbrella standing on bridge in the park. Lille, France Street view of Lille, France Portrait of a happy senior woman standing by the river in park
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Sudan

fevrier 2004

Between the Second and Third Cataracts of the Nile

In 2004, Mathieu Drouet crossed paths with Francis Geus, archaeologist and head of the Egyptology Department at University of Lille III. As an intern, he traveled to Sudan with an archaeological safeguarding mission on the Island of Saï and in Nubia, where Sudanese and Europeans collaborate, and where the remains of different eras coexist, from post-Egyptian civilizations to medieval societies. The photographer captured scenes of camp life, landscapes of the Nile, and the excavation work at UNESCO sites, as well as official visits, the wildlife in the Pharaonic sites, and the daily life of the populations around the site. The images taken during this journey were forgotten for fifteen years, only to be rediscovered in 2020 with a more seasoned eye.

Rocks on the bank of the Nile River in Nubia, Sudan. Beautiful sunset Nubia, Sudan Sunset over the desert in Nubia, Sudan Unidentified man standing near minarets in Nubia, Sudan Unidentified people on a boat on the river Nile. A young couple walks along the bank of the Nile river in Nubia, Sudan in the middle of the desert rock and sand dune like concept of wild and natural, Nubia, Sudan little boy on the boat. Nubia, Sudan Elderly couple reading a book on a boat, Nubia, Sudan Pharon Tombs, Nubia, Sudan the sign of the zebra crossing in the middle of the desert, Nubia, Sudan man standing on the bank of the Nile river in Nubia, Sudan Ruins of the Amenophis 3 temple complex, Nubia, Sudan Sand dunes , Sahara, Sudan
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Burnout

2015

Attempt to Exhaust the American Dream

For few weeks, Mathieu Drouet and his partner Agathe Vuachet travel through the United States by train and car. With the sole constraint of spending Halloween in New Orleans, where they would attend a voodoo ceremony, this journey far from the major tourist attractions deconstructs Americana and tells the story of the United States just before the 2016 election of Donald Trump. From Chicago to Louisiana and from Memphis to Virginia, the images in Burnout depict Americans’ relationship to veterans, religion, leisure, and natural disasters, by deconstructing the cultural layers that make up the American Dream, but rarely illustrating the American Dream itself.

The interior of a casino in Chicago. Autumn leaves in front of a house building with a black lives matter sign. Oil and gas station with an american army truck Veterans Tourist couple looking at the view from the observation deck on the mountain View of skyscrapers in Downtonw Chicago. View of decorative objects in the streets of Chicago in the afternoon Lifeguard tower at Mobile Beach, Alabama. woman walking on the beach at sunset. Traffic cones on the road in the rain with fallen trees. Unknown man in a hat with a skull at night in News Orleans, USA. Jesus statue in the cemetery at Mobile, Alabama Modern apartment building exterior with green grass lawn and flower bed in front. Surfers and hotels on the beach in Mobile, Alabama. Cars with pro trump slogan in Mobile, Alabama Father and his two kids sitting on a boat and looking at the lake in Louisiana American flag and fireman on a background of blue sky with clouds
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Laurence

Juillet 2010 - Septembre 2023

Lace Dust

At a time when she’s questioning her romantic life, love, and commitment, Laurence finds her mother’s wedding dress in her parents’ cellar. She decides to try on the garment, worn only once, stained and threadbare, but heavy with promises, expectations, and social significance. Since the dress fits her like a glove, she asks Mathieu Drouet to accompany her in confronting its lace with the trials and tribulations of everyday life - in a supermarket parking lot, in a libertine sauna, or in her parents’ house on the eve of their move. The images were taken in and around Lille – where Laurence works in tourism and art – and question how education shapes childhood dreams and what place marriage holds in society and in families. What remains of it after 10, 15, 30, or 60 years? Is it as dusty as the dress, with its musty smell?

bride with a gun on the background of a red wall. bride with a bouquet of flowers in her hands sitting on the couch Beautiful bride in white wedding dress posing in her bedroom at morning. Beautiful bride in a wedding dress with a dog in the park Beautiful bride with a glass of red wine in the interior of the hotel Beautiful bride with a bouquet of flowers in the spring park Beautiful bride in a white wedding dress posing in the interior of the church Wedding day. Beautiful bride in white wedding dress and veil posing in a bus. Beautiful young woman in a pink wedding dress in the interior of a BDSM club bride in a wedding dress with a bouquet of flowers Beautiful bride in a white wedding dress with a bouquet of flowers in a shopping cart Woman sitting in armchair near fireplace in living room at home. bride with a bouquet of flowers in her hands standing in her room
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Tennessee Moonshine

2015

Go, on ! Demon

In 2015, Mathieu Drouet and Agathe Vuachet follow Team Wild to Tennessee for an album recording, and go back to Tennessee in 2016. The outcome of those trips is a multi-faceted project that combines photography, video, and editing, in which Mathieu Drouet’s passion for music intertwines with his interest in the unexpected side of America. In addition to his time spent with Team Wild in the Nashville studio, he explores Tennessee, particularly Memphis and iconic roads. From these two trips, he produces three clips for Team Wild songs, a video of striking images of Tennessee, and two books corresponding to two series of pictures - one in black and white, the other in colour. While Tennessee Moonshine is deeply tied to the first album Team Wild recorded in the USA, it also stands back to unveil the Tennessee of bars and concerts, of Graceland and abandoned places, of celebrations and everyday life.
Moonshine is the name given to alcohol made illegally, especially during Prohibition. The title Tennessee Moonshine pays tribute to what is invisible at first glance but accessible to those who are observant.

cross in the field with a red ribbon on the top of it Night view of a McDonalds restaurant in Memphis Musician at a music studio, Memphis Veterans Day Parade, Memphis Veteran's day parade, Memphis Interior of a hotel lobby with a large window and a chair. Memphis woman with mobile phone in the car on the road at sunset Abandoned grain silo on a background of trees and sky. Tennessee Abandoned ghost town West Memphis, Arkansas , USA Rainbow sign on a wall in West Memphis, Arkansas Old wooden bench with a table and chair in front of the window. Nashville Vintage american pickup truck parked in front of a garage. Nashville A small church on the side of a road with trees in the foreground.
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Sexscape

2013 - 2024

Bodies and Chimeras

In Sexscape, Mathieu Drouet explores his own rapport with sexuality and fantasy. Bodies are alone but watched, in couples, or in groups. The models in this series become phantasmagoric illusions, thanks to the alchemy of long exposure times and 360-degree shots. This technique, developed by Mathieu Drouet to create sound and photographic landscapes during concerts at Le Grand Mix, allows glitches and superimpositions to verge on disconcerting hallucinations during the choreography of bodies and limbs.

A black and white image of a woman with her back to the camera A black and white image of a messy bed in a hotel room sex orgy in black and white Young woman lying on the bed in hotel room, black and white couple in the bedroom. Black and white photo of man and woman
Dedicated
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Xavier Brisoux

Juillet 2018 - Septembre 2023

A close-knit bond

Mathieu Drouet has been telling the story of Xavier Brisoux’s knitted sculptures since they met in 2012. For the designer, who meticulously forms the architecture of each garment, entrusting the photographs of his collections to Mathieu Drouet is an exercise in letting go. In Valencia, at the Villa Cavrois (Lille), or in an abandoned apartment, the artists create a new tangible story for each collection, taking the high-fashion sculptural garments into cinematic and literary universes. Their collaboration shows the parallel evolution of their work, Xavier Brisoux having been a finalist at the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyères in 2020 before exhibiting his work at the Villa Cavrois in early 2023.

a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux a model wearing a design by Xavier Brisoux
2

Winecore

2007 - 2017

Take a sip

Winecore is the fruit of ten years of work in the world of wine. Moving away from the usual images depicting vineyards, Mathieu Drouet has put the spotlight on the people who produce the wine and their physical and technical effort. Corsica, Burgundy, Occitania, Champagne... In addition to his assignments, Mathieu Drouet shows the technical nature of winegrowers’ gestures, as well as the little things that are part of vineyard life: vine training, maintenance of champagne yeast cultures, pig slaughtering, and meals with loved ones.

Aerial view of a woman working on the production line of wine in a winery a winegrower harvesting pig's blood during the feast of Saint Vincent a winemaker turning over the lees in a wine vat Workers unload the soil from the tractor in the field. Man working in container during harverst Wine cellar. A man in a green raincoat stands in front of a wooden barrel. Experienced winemaker working in a winery. He is checking the quality of wine. a man emerging from a vat of wine Portrait of a gypsy family in champagne vineyard on a sunny day High angle view of couple standing next to a grape press during harvest Workers pour wine grappes into a wooden barrel.
3

First Meeting

Women in Waiting

Isolated in Valencia for six months or a year, the women of the series First Meeting are all linked by their presence in Valencia at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. For some, the situation put their professional activities on forced hold; for others, it made the distance from their families even more palpable. For most of them, Mathieu Drouet was the first person they would see when one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns was lifted. Whether they were artists, refugees, vocal coaches, or former sex workers, some left the city, or even Spain, as restrictions began easing, to start a new chapter in their lives: in their country of origin, as a couple, or with children.

Portrait of a woman in a dress sitting on the sofa woman in jeans and t-shirt sitting on pink sofa at home Beautiful woman sitting in a wicker chair in the summer garden a blonde woman in a denim overalls. woman with tattoos on her body sits on a sofa Woman sitting at the piano Portrait of a mexican woman sitting on the bed at home Woman in orange dress sitting on the bed and looking at the camera. A girl in a black sweater and jeans sits in an armchair near the window.
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audioguides

Loin de l’idéal, loin des rêves

audioguid.es is a collection of photographic objects that focuses on the memory of territories and inhabitants. Bridging the gap between an audio guide and a time capsule, audioguid.es captures the memory and mindset of people living or working in the Goutte d’Or neighborhood in Paris during the summer of 2022.
Audio cassettes were the simplest means of music transmission in the 80s and90s, often creating a personal link between individuals and their community.
From the cadastral Goutte d’Or to the Goutte d’Or of the metro stations, the area sometimes takes on a more significant dimension: A zone of migration, passage, commerce, work, and various exchanges, the Goutte d’Or has a unique geography for each community, for each person.
The 10 cassettes that make up this set include recordings of interviews and a selection of music on side A. On side B, a DATA recording of the cassette ensures the transmission and longevity of the work.

View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor. View from above of Luminous lamp and audio K7 on a wooden floor.
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Canapé Chucrut

January 2023

Drag Queens in Chiaroscuro

One evening in January 2023, Mathieu Drouet attends a drag queen show at the Centro Excursionista Bar in Valencia. In black and white, using chiaroscuro, he captures Laleva’s sass, Glamniss’ dark glam, and Letizia Conceta’s delicate elegance at Canapé Chucrut. The contrast in the images reflects that of the evening, where the sophisticated drag queens’ perform in a simple décor, and the richness of their costumes stands out in the intimate setting of the bar.

Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain Member of the drag queen collective Canapé Chucrut performing in a bar in Valencia, Spain