For a while now I have wanted to put my thoughts on @capturedbygicquel into words and out there for you all to read. He approached me on Instagram in September 2018 and been a fan ever since. He is a photographer and perfume enthusiast based in New York City.
His photos resonate with me particularly because, as an artist I am always looking for ways to explore the tropes of fragrance advertising and branding. For years fragrance companies have paired certain kinds of identities to certain products; whether that be race, gender or age. These “types” of people are targeted through imagery…. which in my opinion has very little to do with scent, or even the specific design for the product. I adopt certain aesthetics within my design to try and convey an identity autonomous from any physical form and I think Gicqued encapsulates this idea perfectly. His images give perfumes a character. By using materials such as silk and a comic book-esque layout on his Instagram he creates a story that sort of plays out in your head like a perfume commercial.
I am honestly a fan of Gicquel’s experimental photographic style and am keen to see how it develops. If you have checked him out yet you can find more of his work on his Instagram @capturedbygicquel and on his website https://www.capturedbygicquelphotography.com/