How much does origin influence an artist’s work? The works of the Swiss photographer Thomas Barbèy are clearly influenced by his origins. Switzerland is known for its snow-capped mountain peaks and impressive rock massifs. For risky ski slopes and comfortable chair lifts that take you back to the top.
And what do you see in his photographs? Exactly that: mountain landscapes full of snow again and again. However, Barbéy is not a naturalistic landscape photographer. Everything but that. As his photo series “Surreal Dreams” shows, the Swiss has a blossoming imagination. A huge horse’s head suddenly rises from a snow-covered slope. What was once thought to be a ski slope turns out, upon closer inspection, to be the deathly pale face of a woman whose hare serves as a downhill run. Other times, the slope that skiers are racing down is actually a white tablecloth.
Thomas Barbèy draws inspiration from the great surrealists
However, the photographer does not need any digital technology for his original image compositions: everything was created using analogue editing. The Grand Canal, which flows into a waterfall. The busy street that runs under a gigantic tree or the Golden Gate Bridge, which extends through the middle of a picture gallery. Barbèy sometimes touches the boundaries of kitsch or crosses them: The mermaid bathing at the waterfall may be a bit too absurd. Not everything here comes from the artist’s imagination: Thomas Barbèy sometimes borrows generously from surrealists such as Salvador Dalí or René Magritte.
But for the benefit of the photographer, questions can be asked here: Where does the quote end and where does the theft begin? In any case, Barbèy has presented highly stimulating images that leave you wanting more.