Inspired by the burlesque, cabaret clubs of Paris, French photographer Válerie Belin used two of the most famous clubs of all time, Le Moulin Rouge and Le Lido, for the setting of her ghostly series “Yohoho”. Belin carefully constructed each image by the meticulous act of layering two negatives together, resulting in the dream like and mysterious scenes that appear in the final work.
Unable to label the work of Válerie Belin as strictly documentary, surrealist or fine art photography, ultimately creates a body of work that on one hand explores the historical context of the stage sets, whilst on the other leaves the viewer wondering if what they are faced with is reality or a constructed fiction.
The new exhibition at Michael Hoppen Contemporary, from 31st May 2012 – 7th July 2012, will showcase twelve black and white silver gelatin prints from the new series “Yohoho”.