The Darkness Is For Living Together
Matthieu Croizier X David Weishaar
2023
"The Darkness is for Living Together" is a collaborative project made with artist
David Weishaar, whose work has long fascinated me. Favouring the portrait
genre as his main means of expression, he chooses his models amongst people
with whom he has a strong relationship of friendship or admiration for their
activism or commitment. In short, it is a matter of a group, an entourage, a
chosen family. So he takes his characters into nocturnal worlds referenced from
fantasy, mainstream, vampire or witch stories. These dreamlike and symbolic
environments are conducive to the exploration of bodies, genders and desires.
I took inspiration from his paintings to create my photographs – some images
are even direct reference to his work – and he then digitally painted some details
on them, blurring the line between photography and painting. We have created
this serie as a fashion story, in collaboration with Agapornis, a collaborative
fashion project based on the love of creating together. It materialises in an
enchanted universe, with objects inspired by fantastic repertoires, at the same
time claiming stage costumes and pieces of craft know-how. This debauchery
of elegance becomes a plea for another world, full of dreams and freedom.
We want our images to challenge the conventional
notions of beauty and seek to highlight the unexpected places where beauty
can be found. Perhaps the Darkness is a good place to start looking for it.
“What to do with tenderness?”, Kunstahlle Trier, Germany, December 2024 - February 2025
"The fairies have left the men’s reality in order to destroy it by making a new one."
Larry Mitchell, The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions, 1977
A collaborative project between photographer Matthieu Croizier and artist David Weishaar.
Photography and creative direction by Matthieu Croizier
Digital painting by David Weishaar
Digital painting associate by Luar Fernandes
Fashion by Agapornis and Nike.
The models are Jo(nathan) Kolly, Morgane Gillioz, Pharell Golli, and Shaliy Jiang Meow.
Hair and make-up by Morgane Gillioz.