Maxime Riché's 'Paradise' Documents Aftermath of California's Camp Fire

Maxime Riché's monograph 'Paradise,' published by André Frère Editions, examines the aftermath of the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, California. The fire, ignited by a faulty power line, killed 86 people and erased entire neighborhoods in four hours. Riché traveled to Paradise in 2020 and 2021 to photograph residents rebuilding their lives. The book uses infrared color slide film to evoke the psychological trauma of survivors, and a custom 'color resinotype' print process incorporating ash from burned trees. Riché, a French artist and three-time Prix Pictet nominee, explores humanity's refusal to accept limits and its consequences for the planet's habitability. The Dixie Fire, which erupted under the same power lines in 2021, became the largest single wildfire in California history, scorching nearly one million acres.