Mathieu Grandjean

XY Project

XY is a portraits series started in 2005 that probes the critical question of the notion of couple in the Western society today. Although a couple is commonly defined as two people linked together in an intimate relationship, its diversity (inter-racial or same-sex) is still not completely recognized or officially accepted nowadays. Most of these portraits were taken in California where the notion of married couple was strongly debated in 2008 with the approval on November 4, 2008 of Proposition 8. It overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling of In re Marriage Cases (2008), thereby restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminating same-sex couples’ constitutional right to marry.

The series includes couples from my intimate circle but most of them were randomly approached. Some portraits were made during scheduled sessions, others on the spur of the moment when I was setting up my equipment in public spaces such as farmers markets or gatherings asking people if I could photograph them. In every case, the setting remained the same: one chair against a neutral background, in daylight. Couples are directed to face the camera without looking at each other. For each photo session, I restricted myself to one 36-exposure roll of black and white 35 mm film in order to preserve the vitality and the authenticity of the encounter. Such approach emphasizes the unique character of each couple while the broad selection conveys an universal condition. Although the partners are aware of the camera, these stark portraits reveal an unexpected aspect of both individuals while their gesture expresses the intimate relationship between them.