Darker Than Blue
Darker Than Blue
Mathieu Bitton
May 17, 2018
© Mathieu Bitton
In his series Darker Than Blue, Mathieu Bitton tells about the everyday life of African-American citizens in the USA and the Bahamas. For the LFI blog, he has selected a photograph from Columbia, South Carolina.
“On February 3, 2017, I went with legendary comedian Dave Chappelle to Columbia, South Carolina to document his visit to his grandfather’s Chappelle Church and the Chappelle Administration Building, on Allen University campus. The grandfather and grandson in this picture were on the sidelines observing the scene.
I was so captivated by the intensity of their relationship that it reminded me of my own relationship with my grandfather, Raphael Aboulafia, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He was always very protective of me and I felt the same thing in this relationship. It has stayed with me to this day.
I think the true power of my Leica cameras, is that I never feel like I just have a camera. I feel like I have a time machine. A machine that will capture a moment exactly as it was, but adding a magical veneer of timeless legacy.
This is their story, yet it is also my story. We are both witnessing the same exact moment in time. We may never see each other again, but we have a photo to remind us of that moment forever.
Gaining the trust of an incredible artist like Dave Chappelle, who truly stands in a league of his own, the greatest at his craft, makes me experience things I would never otherwise experience. My Leica is the tool that connects the dots. It actually gives me confidence. It’s such a beautiful and unique object; it adds a layer of greatness to my work and presence. It is actually the storyteller. Not me.”
You will find the Portfolio Darker Than Blue in LFI 4/2018.
“On February 3, 2017, I went with legendary comedian Dave Chappelle to Columbia, South Carolina to document his visit to his grandfather’s Chappelle Church and the Chappelle Administration Building, on Allen University campus. The grandfather and grandson in this picture were on the sidelines observing the scene.
I was so captivated by the intensity of their relationship that it reminded me of my own relationship with my grandfather, Raphael Aboulafia, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He was always very protective of me and I felt the same thing in this relationship. It has stayed with me to this day.
I think the true power of my Leica cameras, is that I never feel like I just have a camera. I feel like I have a time machine. A machine that will capture a moment exactly as it was, but adding a magical veneer of timeless legacy.
This is their story, yet it is also my story. We are both witnessing the same exact moment in time. We may never see each other again, but we have a photo to remind us of that moment forever.
Gaining the trust of an incredible artist like Dave Chappelle, who truly stands in a league of his own, the greatest at his craft, makes me experience things I would never otherwise experience. My Leica is the tool that connects the dots. It actually gives me confidence. It’s such a beautiful and unique object; it adds a layer of greatness to my work and presence. It is actually the storyteller. Not me.”
You will find the Portfolio Darker Than Blue in LFI 4/2018.
Mathieu Bitton+-
Bitton is one of the most undisputed representatives of his craft. After spending his childhood in Paris, he moved to the United States when he was 14 years old – first to Los Angeles, then New York four years later. His passion for art and music led him to photography. Bitton’s oeuvre includes portraits, liefestyle and travel photos, though he has lost his heart to concert photography. More
© Mathieu Bitton