Jean-Luc Mylayne

Since 1976, Jean-Luc Mylayne has lived a nomadic life on the roads of France and the world, in search of birds which he photographs. Although he has acquired by force of circumstance a keen knowledge of ornithology, this was not the purpose of his work. His quest was above all the intimate, furtive encounter with birds. In twenty-eight years, Jean-Luc Mylayne has only produced around 150 photographs from these special relationships. Each one was the fruit of long, patient approach work involving observation and taming, and each was printed only once, without exception. Jean-Luc Mylayne, who describes himself as a film director and refers to the birds as actors, rigorously constructs his photograph around their presence. The compositions and tones of what he calls his "paintings" are extremely precise, as the artist takes into account a multitude of parameters such as the seasons and the time of day. If need be, he uses artificial lighting or even extras. A simple photograph can be the result of several months' preparation. The arrival of the bird in the place which has been precisely reserved for it on the photograph signifies the successful accomplishment.

Jean-Luc Mylayne was born in Amiens in 1946. His photographs have been exhibited in personal exhibitions at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery (New York), the musée d'Art moderne (Paris) and the musée d'Art moderne (Saint-Étienne) and in joint exhibitions at the Kunsthaus in Zurich, the Neues Museum Weserburg in Bremen, the Biennial of Contemporary Art of Lyon in 2001 and the Haunch of Venison Gallery (London).