Olivier Culmann, Une Vie de Poulet, 2001
Olivier Culmann’s little book Une Vie de Poulet is one of the treasures I picked up at Paris Photo last year. Two originally separate photo reportages are juxtaposed to great political, and comic, effect. The first series is about the final years of compulsory military service in France (1996), and the second about industrial chicken farming in 1998. By contrasting these two seemingly unconnected worlds, Olivier Culmann’s visual gags become metaphors, through their bizarre, surprising and humorous similarities. The most obvious comment here, seems to be that both his subjects are helplessly forced into a situation dictated by something beyond their control. Olivier Culmann cleverly puts his finger on this and other common points. Thoroughly well designed, this compact twenty-four page book is a real treat.
Website for Olivier Culmann: http://tendancefloue.net/olivierculmann/
Find Filigranes Éditions here: http://www.filigranes.com/main.php
Olivier Culmann, Une Vie de Poulet, is published by Filigranes Éditions 2001 in an edition of 800 copies
Soft cover with dust jacket
App. 13 x 18cm
24 pages