With parents trained in classical theatre and ballet, it was no surprise that Lara Angelil would become enamoured with the aesthetic splendour of figures dancing through space. After years spent riffling through her father’s photographic archives, infatuated with the poise and sculptural silhouettes of ballet dancers captured in black and white, at twenty-one she decided to pick up the camera herself and pursue a career in fashion photography. Since working with commercial clients alongside personal projects, an interest in human expression through dance and movement continues to guide all aspects of her work. Inspired by performance and the body, her portraiture, while static, often holds dynamic implications, offering the viewer a lasting impression of otherwise transient and fleeting movement.
01 I GOT INTO PHOTOGRAPHY BECAUSE
I used to find photographs of theatre and ballet performances in my dad’s archive in our cellar. I was totally dazzled by the sculptural shapes of the dancers and their graphic silhouettes. Not to mention their emotional expressions and dramatic movements. I've been chasing this sensation in my work ever since.
02 A PHOTOGRAPH THAT ALWAYS BRINGS ME JOY
a black and white photograph of my mother dancing 'Carmen Roh' in the 90s. I have the poster of the performance hanging in my office. She's a goddess!
*Pictured here: Lara's mother dancing Carmen.
03 MY FAVOURITE BOOKSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS IS
OFR in Paris.
04 AN UPCOMING PROJECT I'M EXCITED ABOUT
I am working on a personal project about performance art that is slowly taking shape, exploring the different corners of artistic expression with the body and movement.
*Pictured here: an image from Lara's personal project.
05 I PREPARE THE CONCEPTS FOR MY SHOOTS BY
I always start from a strong focal point - a person, a performer, a painter, a brand. From there I gather all the information I can about my subject. I'll speak to them (if possible), I'll read about them and I'll gather imagery of them or their work. From there, I extract elements that stand out to me and begin to build the visual blueprint of the shoot. I like the 'extraction' process, I find a lot of comfort in that.
06 CREATIVES WHOSE WORK I NEVER TIRE OF
Yves Klein, Caroline Denervaud and Martha Graham.
*Pictured here: the choreographer Martha Graham.
07 I WOULD LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH
dead or alive? or both? Issey Miyake, Jil Sanders, Michael Cunningham, Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, Fellini, Caroline Denervaud, Craig Green, Rebecca Horn, Hussein Chalayan, Vyrao ... the list goes on and on!
08 AN ARTWORK I WISH I HAD CREATED
One of Henry Moore's sculptures.
*Henry Moore; "Half figure", c.1932.
LARA'S FAVOURITE THINGS
01 Trisha Brown's "Set and Reset" at the Tate.
02 A sofa from Soho home.
03 The "Croissance Illimitée" earrings in gold vermeil.
04 The work of artist Caroline Denervaud.
05 Richmond Hill: the best view in the world.