4stones Along the Way

Since its inception, 4stones has continued to evolve. Over the years, I have explored different photographic processes, materials and artistic approaches, while keeping the same principle: inviting someone to freely arrange four pebbles, then creating a photographic record of their composition.

In the early series, first in Paris and then in New York, I became interested in the textures and colors of the surfaces on which the stones were placed. Rusted metal plates, mirrors, painted floors and other urban surfaces gave each composition a distinctive setting. The background was not simply a backdrop; it played an integral part in the image.

With In the Intimacy of the 4stones, my attention shifted towards the relationships between the pebbles themselves and the sense of intimacy that could emerge from the interplay of their shapes. Thirteen New Steps extended this exploration by focusing on their contours and arrangements, photographed on a lightbox that emphasized their forms.

At Soho Photo Gallery, meeting artists who were exploring alternative photographic processes inspired me to experiment with these techniques myself. I discovered new ways of working with images, in which the paper, its texture and tactile qualities, become an integral part of the work's expression. Direct engagement with the material through the artistic process brings a sensory and emotional dimension to the image. The irregularities that may result also make room for a sense of humanity, vulnerability and humility.

I later incorporated 4stones into Immigrant Song, a project focusing on people who had immigrated to the United States. Paired with each participant's photographic portrait, the composition of the four stones enters into a dialogue with it, offering an abstract counterpoint. It provides another way of approaching a person through a distinctive composition born of their own gesture.

Beyond the variety of techniques, the founding principle remains unchanged. Each composition begins with an encounter; each image bears witness to an individual gesture. 4stones continues along its path, between artistic experimentation and human connection, without borders or a fixed form.