Leap into the Blue by Jean-Paul Bourdier

Leap into the Blue is an upcoming publication from Jean-Paul Bourdier, an artist to the very core amidst his duties as a professor of architecture, his passion for photography, and his expertise as an author. The book is a sequel to his previous Bodyscapes, and is a sonata composed of three movements: “Arising Geometry,” the mind’s organization of the environment into patterns; “Pas de Deux,” the body’s need to interact with another being; and “Leap into the Blue,” the spirit’s aspirations as represented by a flying body in motion. The 240 photographs of the book feature the interplay between body and earth, with the western deserts in the United States serving as the background for each image. In one photograph, two humans posing in extended positions are mirrored against an endless sky; in another, a periwinkle figure sits suspended in the air, joined by an assortment of colorful vegetables. The surreal representation of the human body against a seemingly infinite landscape evokes notes of Salvador Dalí’s animated short Destino, but Bourdier casts aside the need for moving images to bring his photographs to life. Instead, the movement is captured within the fantastic world of performance, expression, and dreamscape. Leap into the Blue challenges the mind’s eye, stretching the imagination to match the limitless potential behind the beings that populate Bourdier’s artistic vision.  If you wish to see a gallery of additional photo work by Jean-Paul Bourdier, you will find it, with a video, in his Kickstarter page.

Images Courtesy of Jean-Paul Bourdier