Photographer Judith Lesur is an Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the series ‘Hybrids’. To see Judith ‘s body of work, click on any photograph.

Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, 2018

Montsalier, Alpes de Haute Provence, France, 2016

Montsalier, Alpes de Haute Provence, France, 2018

A gas mask found at a flea market in Kaunas, Lithuania, became the starting point for a photographic series that spanned several years and various countries.

Its symbolism is multifaceted, referencing history—when linked to images of past wars—as well as a dystopian future that is closer than one might imagine.

The staging of a naked figure—a mutant, half-human, half-animal creature for whom the mask is not merely an accessory but the face itself—evokes our vulnerability in the face of nature and the environment, set against landscapes bearing the scars of attempts to tame the wild with varying degrees of success.

A touch of humor also mingles with the desolation; in certain folklore traditions, the grotesque mask serves as a vehicle for catharsis—a way to perhaps ward off an impending apocalypse.

The act of shooting is as important to me as the final result, given that these are self-portraits: photographing oneself naked in an open, public space—amidst thorns or debris—requires a level of concentration akin to a performance art piece.

Judith Lesur was born in Lyon in 1971, where she lived and worked (except a two-year interlude in Australia) before settling in Ardèche, in the south of France, in 2019.

Her career spans different disciplines: philosophy studies, writing fiction, theatrical direction, performance, video and photography.

She is involved in the collectives of Écrits/Studio authors and photographers Une Par Jour. She participated in artistic residencies with KaNîBaL’HoPoX (France, Lithuania) and ArToll Kunstlabor (Germany), and was invited as a writer, videographer or documentary director in projects in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Madagascar.

Within cadavres exquis, an association devoted to art projects, she carries out socio-cultural projects (multidisciplinary artistic workshops), particularly in educational establishments, hospitals and prisons, in France and abroad.

All images and text © Judith Lesur