with
Mathieu Birckel

Mathieu Birckel is an Alsatian photographer who begins to be well-known in the region. He has exhibited in the Mulhouse Courant d’Art Gallery, which is known for its vigorous selection and several times in Saint-Louis. Mathieu Birckel invites us to a nice walk alongside the Rhine banks, where his pebbles look lively under his lens, and to look at the blue sky for a poetic dream.
What do the pebbles bring out to your mind?
‘I feel a kind of respect in front of them; they were there before us and will be there well after us. I think that you must not get hold of nice things, pick them for instance. They must be left in place so that everybody can profit from them!’

Why do you take photographs of the Old Rhine?

‘I was first attracted by the pebbles, above all by their colours ranging from indigo blue to purple red, what a marvel! This place fascinates me, it’s almost a miracle to have just round the corner from our cities such a beautiful nature.’
Why pebbles?
‘You must be able to make an effort to look at what is insignificant. I spotted the place several times on a bicycle, on the Old Rhine banks and, admittedly, with a plain staging, I come back at the time when the light is optimum to take photographs.’

And the Rhine?

This river, with the sunset lighting, the elongating shades, the light which gets close to the surface of the water, this highlights its motions and undulations, I like that very much!
I like to take photographs of the trees alongside the banks, those which withstood the last flooding and that were not carried away by the flood whereas others turned into real sculptures under the pressure of water. They are part of the landscape.’

How do you work?

My photographic approach is close to that of painters who use canvases and an easel; as for me, a photographic apparatus secured to a tripod is used. This leaves time for thinking to centre my images. In addition, with a long exposure time, I obtain a larger depth of focus (clear area of an image) and bring a nice motion and fluidity to the Old Rhine waters.

Mathieu, I was told that certain visitors make you angry!

‘That’s true, in the summertime, there is a sudden rush of bathers on the spot, who have a picnic alongside the water without showing respect for the beauty surrounding them. They disregard everything and leave their waste, bottles, cigarette ends, greasy papers, plastic bags, etc. when going away … a real lack of civic-mindedness! You must know that, during major floods, some waste will arrive at the North Sea. But, well, don’t disturb these people, they have some good time, this is not their problem. I have already asked them to explain their attitude to me, and I got no result.’

What are you going to do in front of this problem?

The only weapon I have is to take photographs of these remarkable places. I go there during all seasons to show these jewels under all their facets for better protection.’

What do you do for the planet?

‘The chemical products that I use for my work will be decontaminated after use to comply with the environment.’

Are you an activist in an ecological movement?

‘Not for the time being. It is up to each citizen to respect our planet, we are not the owners of these places, we are just passers-by.’

Where would you like to exhibit?

‘I’d like to exhibit outside of the Alsace region to have everyone discover my region, incite everybody to come and visit it, and to appreciate other things than its good food, its famous Christmas markets and its half-timbered houses. The Alsace region is also an exceptional setting located between the Vosges and the Black Forest.’

Conversation with Françoise Sagon
May 2014