How did you end up photographing potato sprouts?
I was an industrial photographer and among my clients, I had the Federation of Plant Producers, which had a research center in Landerneau (29). In 1977, I started photographing new varieties (tubers, sprouts and flowers, etc.). I kept the potatoes after shooting, and one fine day, in the 1980s, I became particularly interested in these sprouts. Every September, I had between five and ten new varieties, with very different germinations. It took me fifteen years to collate the photos that now make up the exhibition. At first, it was very graphic, very artistic, then I saw other things in these germinations…
That’s to say ?
Where many gardeners see an end when the potato sprouts, I see the beginning of a new life, a renewal. There is something philosophical, metaphorical. This is the paradox of fragility. These germs, which can break with the slightest flick, still manage to pierce a jute bag. I see it as a symbol of life: fragile and strong at the same time.
Were you surprised by any of your subjects?
If the conditions in the studio are always the same – a dark room, a temperature always below 18°C - all germinations are different. Shapes, colors… Each variety has its specificity. They almost look like animals. You know, when you look closely at nature, it’s pretty amazing.
What is the public’s reaction when you present your exhibition?
When I presented this exhibition for the first time, in 1999, a researcher from the Pau cooperative (64) told me: “You have photographed what Goethe wrote: plant transformism”. INRA scientists were also interested in discovering up close this germination process, which usually takes place underground. The general public and the artists with whom I sometimes exhibit are also very surprised. With these photos, I reveal a lot of things, in fact.
Practical
The Ploumagoar cultural service is hosting, from January 11 to February 15, the exhibition “Exuberance”, by Robert Gernot, industrial photographer from Côtes-d’Armor. The opening will take place on Friday January 10, at 5 p.m., and will be preceded by the inauguration of Ploum’expo. Visible Tuesday to Saturday, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday January 25, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., guided tour of the exhibition followed by an imaginary workshop led by Robert Gernot, by reservation at 02 96 11 10 10.
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