Curated Series:
Solaris-A by Laurent Castellani

In his upcoming book, "Solaris-A," set to release in Fall 2024, Laurent Castellani explores the play of sunlight through captivating imagery, delving into portraits, the female form, flowers, and various abstract concepts. This collection is a revelation of sunlight, sculpting new contours and perspectives, adding an emotional dimension that oscillates between dream and reality.

The genesis of "Solaris-A" traces back to a shoot for the release of the perfume French Riviera, where Laurent's visuals, bathed in sunlight and water elements, crystallized his signature style—softness, abstraction, and the delicate line between dream and reality. Inspired by films like Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" and the juxtaposition of reality and Science Fiction in works like "The Beach," Laurent's images embody a captivating blend of reality and imagination. "Solaris-A" emerges as a manifestation of his clear vision, combining naturalness with a quest for that elusive element or treatment that elevates each image. Laurent's creative process is an intricate interplay of instinct, organization, and the serendipitous "switch" that propels his visuals into another dimension.

3 selected works from "Solaris-A" are now available on SuperRare for 3-5 ETH reserve prices.

- SuperRare Labs Senior Curator An (@anloremi) 

ABOUT THE ARTIST: LAURENT CASTELLANI 

Laurent Castellani, a distinguished French photographer and creative director, has garnered acclaim from luxury brands like Hermes and Chanel, showcasing his 360° artistic vision. His portfolio includes notable works for Bose, Jaguar, and a captivating Mulholland Drive series that led to collaborations with Netflix. Beyond commercial ventures, Laurent, known for his intimate connection with subjects, has transformed personal challenges, including agoraphobia, into creative inspiration, finding solace in macro photography and the enduring beauty of femininity. In addition to his photography career, Laurent has emerged as a distinguished Crypto Artist. His work, exhibited on a global scale, has resonated strongly in the NFT space, with Laurent ranking among the top-selling artists on platforms like SuperRare. His upcoming book, "Solaris-A," set to release in Fall 2024, promises imagery immersed in sunlight and reflective of his unique perspective on proximity, unveiling unforeseen beauty to captivate viewers.

SOLARIS-A 

Within the pages of "Solaris-A," one encounters images drenched in sunlight, exuding warmth, texture, and abstraction. From portraits to bodies, flowers, and all that envelops Laurent's world, macro photography takes center stage, reflecting his unique perspective on proximity. With eyes wide open, viewers will uncover unforeseen beauty.

Light, as defined by Wikipedia, is the radiation perceived by the human eye, emanating from an incandescent or luminescent source. In "SOLARIS-A," this radiation is exclusively solar. Through this book, Laurent embarks on an exploration of the nuanced play of light that only the sun can offer. Starting with portraits and the female form, then utilizing flowers as a conduit, he delves into various textures, objects, geometric forms, places, and abstract concepts.

Solar radiation serves as the sculptor, fashioning new contours, lines, and perspectives, transforming both the "subject" and our perception. This process introduces a fresh emotional dimension—backlit flares bestow a soft, milky veneer, while unfiltered light imparts a more raw intensity. "SOLARIS-A" is the revelation of sunlight through Laurent's discerning lens.

HOW IT STARTED

LAURENT CASTELLANI: About 1 year ago, on the occasion of a shoot for the release of a perfume, French Riviera, I created some very sunny visuals with the elements water and flare of the sun, and this crystallized the desire to do visuals only like that, because it defined my style: softness, abstraction, that line between dream and reality.

But my eye goes back to the first time I saw Danny Boyle's film Sunshine. There's something very real and very raw in films like "The Beach", but also something imaginary and scary. In these 2 films, there are passages that spin out of control, we're also on the borderline between dream and reality, between reality and Science Fiction, and that's what I like in my images.

SOLARIS-A crystallizes my very clear vision of a certain reality with a great deal of naturalness and softness, and I'm looking for that extra "switch", that element or treatment that takes the image elsewhere. It's something that's been dormant in me for several years, and the trigger came about a little by chance. I said to myself, this is who you are, this is what you want to show.

CREATIVE PROCESS

LAURENT CASTELLANI: The process is an ensemble, a compilation of films, music, TV series and what I perceive in my reality. It's both instinctive and organized, in that I know how to bring together the ingredients to generate these images, but I have to have that element of chance, of "switch" that takes my visuals into another dimension.