Nathalie Gassel's 'Récit plastique' Explores Solitude Through Photography and Writing

Nathalie Gassel's latest book, 'Récit plastique,' published by Éditions du Somnambule équivoque, presents a collection of 'biographical thoughts' on topics such as the power of money and obscenity. The work is illustrated with her own black-and-white photographs, including self-portraits and staged objects like dolls and sexual utensils. Gassel's photography, described as classically formal and exemplified by the striking 'Jambes au crâne,' seeks beyond mere representation. This visual component complements her writing, adding another temporality to her oeuvre, which remains relatively secret despite a 2006 exhibition at the Parisian bookstore Violette and Co. The book expresses a profound solitude, with Gassel writing, 'My heart is isolated in a plain of cold, as if nothing could reach it that would nourish it with sweetness.' Unlike her previous work 'Des années d’insignifiance' (Luce Wilquin), which hinted at reconciliation with life, 'Récit plastique' is marked by distress. Gassel's reflection on self-representation introduces a tacit critique of the will to power central to her earlier books. By transforming her life into a spectacle, she seeks to break her solitude and find readers and friendships. Cédric Rognon reviewed the book for artpress.