Some say that Bora Bora is the Paradise on Earth. I agree; it definitely is! We live another rhythm in Polynesia; it’s another world photographed in black and white, what a surprise! Photo composition composed of assembled shots of 24X36, over 30 photos stitched together, sometimes to reconstruct a landscape, sometimes not!
One after the other we see pictures of an Aito, a magnificent Polynesian tree; of the roots of a coconut tree fell into the lagoon; of a multitude of hermit-crabs; and also under water, of coral, fish, and of an octopus in its nest. We got here a play between shadows and lights on the reef in black and white and very large format.
The artist comes back to the creative work after he left it off Bora Bora's coast; he assembles a new puzzle of landscapes. A wave rolls up on the ocean asleep then the composition takes on another dimension. The moment is calm but intense and the photographer tries to transcribe that feeling of fullness by juxtaposing photographs like facets of his own personality.
Joel Vogt is like a Pagurus under a coconut tree, he transcribes the nature that vibrates the lagoon; an octopus looks around, it is scarcely distinguishable in its nest. The sun is already setting far behind Mount Otemanu. We take a piece of the puzzle and put it down somewhere else… The branches of an Aito intertwine in the tumult of the Pacific Ocean, and they are offered to the amazed photographer. He already knows what he will make of it, photos pile up everywhere, there are 30 of them already on one of the photomontages, each 24cmx36cm view is unique, and it approaches poetry.
A storm appears in the distance... Bora Bora remains impassive; it already knew storms a long time ago. On a canoe a Polynesian paddles to the shore and the last daylight caress the smooth surface of the Sea.