The pool series opened in a New Gallery, the Show Room, just before, or after the river in Brooklyn. Maryse Alberti is a familiar name in film; she is an incredibly prolific director of photography and director of cinematography, there is no point in listing that here. Here, we are concerned with her work as a photographic artist.
The work was profound and important. Every picture was kinetic, brimming with a barely contained energy. Alberti's use of color seems to have more in common with Monet's Water Lilies and Cezanne than it has to any other photographer I've seen. Perhaps it is the dichotomy of the work in film – crisp, lines, movement, subject; that encouraged this photography with kinetic lines and post-impressionist coloring. The important thing about this work is that it has no subject, they are not necessarily pictures ofthings. Sure, one could argue that they a pictures of girls swimming. Alberti is simply using the girls swimming as a tool; in the same way that the abstract painters used models, or landscapes to inform their work.
What this is, and has to be is non-subjective photography, photography with no subject, that plays with color as the impressionists did, and uses movement with the same kind of intensity as Botticelli.
The bar I am setting is very high, but I hold by it. Photography has to evolve in this era where everyone is an amateur photographer on Instamatic or whatever; Alberti shows us some of that evolution.
Museé was able to get a short interview:
Museé - I know you as a director of photography, and is this your first photography show in New York.
Maryse Alberti – My first show, my first solo show in New York, yes
How do you approach photography vs how you approach being a director of photography.
I think it's part of the same thing, I think its more how do you approach being an artist as opposed to being a director of photography. Director of photography I work with a team, I collaborate; there are a lot of time constraints, if, on the day, I am not very inspired, I still have to produce an image. When, as an artist, I work on my own schedules, I do whatever I want. If I am not inspired I can just go outside and smoke a joint, I can do and re do so I think that is the difference. In terms of motion pictuure and film I think it's pretty much in the same family, as you see those have a lot of motion in them. So the difference is more in how you work.
Your work to me, and you being from france seems very abstract impressionist, Monet's Water Lilis
Or painterly, or Goya or Delacroix, yeah. I mean to tell you the truth I didn't start with that inention. Monet or Delacroix, but that's what came to me as it developed and when I saw that I pushed that a little bit more, in the lab – in the printing
Since you said; this is your first show in New York, and you are so prolific as a DP, are you planning to do more
Yes
Is photography more of a side project ?
Well, I don't like that idea of being on the side, it's not a hobby. It's something that I need to do for my soul, you know. But don't quit your day job you know. I'm a Mom too, my son is in collage so I'm going to have more time now, and this is something that I'm going to keep on doing. I would like to show this older series in New York.
Where was that previous series originally shown?
In Los Angeles
Do you work more in LA or in New York
As a DP I work all over the world, but I am based here in New York, in Brooklyn.
How did this series come about?
They came out of kind of an accident, and when I saw what happened, I tried to understand why and the technically I was pushing it further and further. I cannot see what I am shooting so I can only set up the technical and the choreography and then look for the accident.
