Light Rorschach, a new series of images by French photographer Nicolas Rivals, is almost literally the inversion of the inky, enigmatic symmetries created by namesake Hermann Rorschach as a now iconic means of psychological testing preceded by the phrase, “Tell me what you see and I’ll tell you who you are.”Wielding a torch, Rivals painted dark space with light by capturing the otherwise ephemeral paths of illumination with a long-exposure. Symmetrical and vaguely face-like, the brilliant results also seem to mirror the essence of Rorschach, the anti-hero of graphic novel Watchman.Those able to speak French can gain insight into Rivals’s own intentions, which is to call the viewer to question the reality, existence, and substance of the photographs. He considers the subjects as masks with some identity behind them, observing the observer and demanding heavy introspection.What society is likely to see in the imploring yet seemingly vacant eyes of these remarkably executed pieces is the mirror image of itself—moving at the speed of light, creating an infinity of substance and patterns that can only be detected by stepping back and looking at the big picture, as the viewer does with Rivals’s new collection.
(Maybe we're crazy, but Rivals' pieces also remind of us of the little guy below)
Nicolas Rivals
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