Hipsters in Stone by Leo Caillard: Playing with Anachronism
Artist Leo Caillard toys with our relationship with time. Through a blend of different periods and anachronism, he prompts us to reflect on the present in relation to our past.1
Inspired by science and the concerns of our contemporary society, he invites us to take a fresh look at our era, open to history, in order to rethink our future.1
Leo Caillard was born in Paris, France in 1985. He belongs to this new generation of artists associated with the significant changes that have been taking place since the 2000s with the dawn of the digital age and the new concerns of societies.1
After spending a day at the Louvre in Paris, photographer Leo Caillard had the genius idea to dress classic statues in what he calls “hipster” clothing. These nude statues represent an ideal iconic figure, a concept of perfection. By clothing them, Caillard is addressing the power of representation.2
For the creation of The Hipsters in Stone art series, Caillard first photographed the statues, and then asked his friends to pose in the same position but with clothes like jeans, flannel shirts and even Ray Ban sunglasses. Then he finished his project with Photoshop.3
In September 2018 Leo Caillard created 30 statues dressed in the fashion of the 20s for the heritage days of the place. An exhibition Hipsters in Stone from the 20s was held at the City Hall of Saint Quentin in France. 1
To make these images, Caillard first photographed the individual statues. He then casted people who had the same body shape as the statues. He asked them to dress in “hipster-style” clothing for the shoot. He photographed the models in studio matching them with the position of the statue and using the same lighting. In post, he combines both photographs to make his final image.
This series asks the question “What is the importance of clothing in our modern society?” How you dress is who you are. When you dress statues, suddenly no longer are they simply reclining figures from the distant past, they now look to be figures from modern and hip cities of today. Because they are made relevant to our current styles, we can see the realism and humanity in each figure.
—Leo Caillard 2
Two videos are provided below to give you a greater understanding of the sculptural works of Leo Caillard. Yes, the second video is in French!
Credits
1. leocaillard.com
2. featureshoot.com
3. boredpanda.com