Valmont BrousseauValmont Brousseau
Biography
Undisciplined multidisciplinary
par Tony Esposito
Valmont Brousseau arrived
in Montreal to finish his studies. He wanted to be a neurologist, an astronomer or
a psychologist. But studies are expensive, so he worked as a photographer. His meeting
with astrologer Louise Haley is decisive. In 1984, he did the cover of her horoscope
book. Contacts with publishers amplified and other publications followed. Meanwhile,
commercial orders appeared. In 1988, he won two contests: Priape's gay sexshop and
La Criée's newspaper. His photos have been published in Montreal-based Fugues
and RG. He has exposed at Montreal's Palais des Congres and in Trois-Rivieres. He
went back to school in 1991. His life changed after his lover quit him. A coming
back for creation and realization. "Thank you my love for quitting me",
he says. Now, he teaches photography, cinema and computer. Sculpting and graphic
designing joined his list of supports for his creativity. His telephones serie shows
an artistic accomplishment with profound knowledge of technology and a large sense
of humor. He made his debut for television through different photographer characters.
Even though he is very busy, he is planning to start a big series of portraits of
the people living in his neighborhood.
Being a photographer, says Valmont Brousseau, is to know how to communicate. And
the photographer's presence is always projected in the photo. For many people, the
lens of the camera is more like a weapon aiming at them, and so, can be perceived
as an agression. It's crucial that the photographer makes his camera transparent,
permitting a direct connection between the model and himself. Valmont's style was
often defined by the special place reserved to objects becoming characters as important
as the human model. Body lines fascinate him; those are the lines leadind the eye,
creating the movement, defining the effect, transmitting the message.
