43 - José NICOLAS (born in 1956)

José NICOLAS (born in 1956) Baie de Briande Prints on Canson Photographie (Ultrasmooth) paper Kodak Portra 160 medium-format film Image dimensions: 40 x 40 cm Dimensions including margins: 60 x 60 cm Framed Note: With *Baie de Briande*, José Nicolas returns to a brighter, more open, almost idyllic image, without, however, descending into mere postcard imagery. The composition is carefully constructed: the wooden barriers in the foreground serve as an entrance into the image and guide the viewer’s gaze toward the beach, then toward the sea and the horizon. They also lend a very tangible quality to the setting, as if one were walking along this path to the shore oneself. The seaside scene remains subtly animated, with a few swimmers and figures lying down, but the overall effect retains a great sense of gentleness thanks to the soft light, the vast sky, and the pastel palette dominated by blues, beiges, and greens. What stands out here is a serene vision of the Mediterranean coastline: a landscape that is inhabited but free of commotion, where human presence blends into the setting rather than dominating it. The framing and the wide white margin further accentuate this sense of calm and detachment, making the photograph as much an object of contemplation as a memento of the place.