Fifth element
Axe Majeur, Cergy-Pontoise, France · 2022
From 195 €
Limited edition of twenty prints, all sizes and materials combined. Each print is signed, numbered and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.
Choose your print
My advice for this photo
- Material
- Fine art paper · matt cotton
- Framing
- Classic frame · Black · up to Large
The white columns of the Axe Majeur in subtle greys: matt cotton paper renders this black and white soft yet structured.
- Made to order: usually two to three weeks in mainland France and Europe
- Signed-for Colissimo delivery or, depending on the country, a pickup point; courier for Large and Extra large sizes and some framed prints
- Fourteen days to change your mind
- Card, SEPA Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link or PayPal
Another size or material? Ask for a quote →
The story behind the photo
Four groups of white columns standing on the esplanade of the Axe Majeur at Cergy, with the valley and the distant skyline behind them, and a couple sitting on a low block at the right of the frame. The columns are aligned across the middle third; the paving runs towards them; the two people are small and entirely at ease.
The title comes from the arithmetic of the picture. In the frame the twelve columns merge into four, and the couple make the fifth element, the one that is alive. I framed deliberately wide so that the human presence would be almost incidental, because that is the true proportion of the place: it was built at the scale of a landscape, not of a visitor.
The light is clear, and in black and white the concrete goes almost pure white against a sky rendered mid grey. That separation is the reason to work in monochrome here: in colour, a white column against a blue sky is a postcard; in grey, it becomes a shape standing on a plane.
Dani Karavan laid this axis out in the 1980s: three kilometres of belvederes, a tower, a bridge and an island. It is one of the most ambitious pieces of public art in France, and almost nobody outside the region has heard of it.
I wanted a photograph about monumental intention and everyday use, with two people having a quiet afternoon in the middle of a work of art.
- Location
- Axe Majeur, Cergy-Pontoise, France
- Date
- 2022
- Gallery
- Street scenes
Sizes and prices
| Size | Fine art paper | Aluminium Dibond | Acrylic glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small30 × 45 cm | 195 € | 300 € | 425 € |
| Medium40 × 60 cm | 275 € | 450 € | 640 € |
| Large60 × 90 cm | 440 € | 670 € | 1 010 € |
| Extra large80 × 120 cm | 580 € | 900 € | 1 470 € |
Price of the print alone, without frame, VAT included. Print dimensions in centimetres; a frame makes them larger.
Materials
Hahnemühle fine art papers (Photo Rag, Museum Etching, Fine Art Baryta…), chosen for each photograph.
Print mounted on 3 mm aluminium Dibond: rigid, light, no glazing.
Print set between 3 mm Dibond and an acrylic sheet: richer colour and depth, resistant to UV and humidity.
Framing, optional
For paper prints: white mount and Plexiglas glazing, museum glass optional. The mount puts space between the photo and the frame: a classic, understated look that draws the eye to the image.
For aluminium and acrylic, black or white. A narrow gap separates the photo from the moulding: it seems to hang suspended inside its frame, for a contemporary look.
For aluminium and acrylic: an aluminium structure fixed to the back, invisible once hung. The photo seems to rest on the wall, slightly set off from it.
Delivery and returns
Signed-for delivery by Colissimo or, depending on the country, to a pickup point; signed-for delivery by courier for Large and Extra large sizes and some framed prints. Usually two to three weeks in mainland France and Europe, thirty to forty-five days for the French overseas territories and other countries.
Read article 9 of the Terms and Conditions →Fourteen days from receipt to change your mind, except for a print made to a special request. Returns are at your expense.
Read article 10 of the Terms and Conditions →Card, SEPA Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link or PayPal. The print is made once payment has been received.
Read article 8 of the Terms and Conditions →Lead times, delivery, payment, returns: the answers are in the frequently asked questions. For another size, another material or advice on hanging, write to me.
Read the frequently asked questions →Contact me →
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