Arts: A Family?s Fantasy World Reflected in the Water

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Behold A Family's Fantasy World Reflected in the Water By Daphnee Denis Posted Thursday, Jan 24, 2013, at 04:00 PM ET It all started when the Laboile family decided to dig a natural pond pool in their garden. French photographer and sculptor Alain Laboile saw his children's image in the water and realized he could create a new world—a world of dreamlike fantasy and games—on the other side. His phantasmagorical series, "Réflexions autour du bassin" (Reflections around the pond), depicts small scenes enacted by his children. Or rather, the image of those scenes reflected in the pool. "The first photo I took was rather banal," Laboile communicated in an email. "But what struck me was the absence of background—the background is replaced by the sky. As a result, the most insignificant scene takes on a new dimension." Laboile started snapping pictures in 2004, after buying a camera to photograph his work as a sculptor. Since then, his children—four girls and two boys, ages 4 to 18—have become his inspiration. While most of his other images focus on capturing spontaneous childhood moments, "Réflexions" involves an intense staging effort—one that the whole Laboile clan participates in. Both playwright and director, the father imagines small sketches before taking the photos. The series evokes myths and iconic works of art, like Salvador Dalí's watch, the story of William Tell, or the legend of Icarus. Some commenters have occasionally seen a similarity with Tim Burton's gothic universe. Still, Laboile says, the props his models use are "pretty much anything that was lying around at the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Benghazi Show Crapware Won't Crap Out How Obama Could Reduce the Risk of Nuclear War Right Now	Advertisement
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