As part of their partnership, Le Soir and the Musée de la Photographie have launched the Galerie du Soir. To coincide with each of the Museum’s major new exhibitions, the Galerie du Soir showcases a young artist worth discovering. A commitment to the future, structured in four parts: a small but significant exhibition at the Museum, a portfolio in the magazine Photographie ouverte, a feature on the photographer in the pages of Le Soir, and a selection of their work on the website www.lesoir.be.  

At a time when many young photographers are exploring their family lives or personal journeys, Julie Mignon stands out by turning her gaze outwards, towards a world she did not know until she observed it through her lens: the world of a farm, where she attaches as much importance to the people who keep it running as to the livestock that form an essential part of it. Like many, she first became interested in photography as a child. “My father had an Olympus that I was constantly ‘peeking’ through. But as I was just a child, I was never allowed to use it.” The bug had well and truly bitten, however, and around the age of fifteen she began taking classes at the Verviers Academy. Naturally, she went on to spend her first year at Saint- Luc Liège after finishing secondary school. But it didn’t really click. “I dropped out after a year, without ever really being able to explain why. Perhaps it wasn’t the right time. Too early, no doubt.” She then explored various fields to find her path. “I went back to study to become a language teacher, but again, I only lasted a year before turning to hotel management.” She did, however, start working in that sector before moving into an office job. “I worked in various fields, but deep down, I think I still missed photography.” 

She then began practising her passion again, just for fun. “When I wanted to start again, I didn’t have a very good camera. And then my dad gave me his!” Certain this time that she wanted to pursue this path, she returned to Saint-Luc and initially devoted herself to portraiture and studio work. “That was what drew me to it at first, but as I learnt more, the relationship with the subject became increasingly important. I felt an ever-growing urge to get out and about, to go and see what really exists rather than creating everything in the studio.” 

She began by returning to Verviers, a place she hadn’t set foot in for about ten years. She photographed her hometown to see if she could still relate to it, if she still had a place there. Then came her discovery of the farm. “I’d met a farmer and, to understand what he was telling me, I wanted to see what that world was like.” Her work has a documentary quality, but also features a way of photographing people and animals inspired by portraiture. 

“The hardest part is finding the right distance. And the right perspective. Work on the farm is very repetitive, and there came a point where I felt as though I was seeing the same thing over and over again. That’s when I had to observe more closely to discover the little things I hadn’t noticed before.” In her work, one senses a closeness, a communion with her subjects – whether they’re people or animals. “When it comes to people, I’m perhaps a bit shyer. I’m more reserved. As they’re working, I try not to disturb them. I’ve never tried to stage them, but sometimes I’d spot a perfect moment and ask them to hold still just long enough for me to take the shot. With animals, it’s more natural. I start talking to them, stroking them. Sometimes I realise I’m talking to them as if they were human.” 

It’s so true that, looking at a group photo, you get the impression she’s gathered a few cows together and asked them to stay still and look straight at the camera before pressing the shutter. “It’s quite possible I might have said that!” she laughs. And judging by the picture, it’s easy to believe her. 

Jean-Marie Wynants