Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Poverty

La Bourse Paris France

Having lived in several big cities in my life I've seen my fair share of homeless, drunks, street urchins and drug fiends, people living in the shadows and dumpsters of society.

I began taking photos of "street life" in Paris in 2007, the 2nd arrondissement is a neighbourhood full of cafes, "chic" restaurants and even a shop that's entire product line consisted of different types of olive oil, not exactly a rough place, but in this picturesque cliche of a Parisian neighbourhood lived many homeless people, all red faced and piss themselves drunk at 7am by the Starbucks, it was like a tiny micro cosmos of expensive clothing and cardboard lean-tos.

At first I was obviously apprehensive to take photos of these people, after all they are "down and out", should I feel like I'm exploiting their lack of cash liquidity ? In the end, I'm not really sure, but perhaps someday we will look at these images in disgust and relief saying to ourselves " I can't believe how barbaric people used to be. "




Metro station St. Lazare Paris France



Metro station La Chapelle Paris France



Second arrondissement Paris France


Unknown metro station Paris France


Chatelet Les Halles Paris France












All photographs the property of Kale J. Friesen and may not be used with out his consent for fucks sakes.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Forgotten spaces France/Belgium


Below you will find photos from my portfolios of abandoned spaces taken in France and Belgium between the spring of 2008 and the spring of 2009. As a photographer who likes to take his time these places were a nirvana of sorts, sometimes waiting for an hour for the right light and shadow to coalesce. In many ways I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit some of these forgotten gems, these places which have left their mark on the environment and now they are left to rot and decay, each one with a bizarre tale to tell.

I would say that I take a cinematic approach to my work, I constantly attempt to bring the viewer with me to the space, to transport the viewer into my world and try to convey the emotion that I experience in these plac
es, you can't help but be overwhelmed standing on cautiously on rotting beams looking out a window onto the picturesque Belgian countryside with 4 floors below you, these places are charged with an ethereal energy, like a mist in the air, you taste, feel, hear and see the ghosts of what once was.



Chateau Miranda Belgium 2008



Hospital B Normandie France 2008



Abandoned farm house Picardie Region France 2008



Hospital B Normandie France 2008



Hospital B Normandie France 2008




Abandoned castle Essonne France 2009




View from the top floor of Chateau Miranda Belgium 2008







Hospital B Normandie France 2008





Abandoned house Picardie region France




Abandoned workshop Picardie Region France










All photographs the property of Kale J. Friesen and may not be copied or used without written consent.