LAISSE DE MER : Tràigh-toisich : Fore-shore by Pierre Lansac

31 Aug - 15 Oct

Tha seo a’ ciallachadh na rudan tha a mhuir a fàgal, bithidh e nàdarrach neo nach bì.

Tha mise a’ fuireach ri taobh Bàgh Bhiscay le tràigh a tha barrachd air 100km a dh’fhad’. Far, troimh mìosan na geamhraidh, tha stoirmean a toirt a-steach tòrr stuth: Fiodh, duslach ainmhidhean, murrrag, fuighleach-mara agus comhairrich de ghniomhachas dhaonna.

Shaoileadh tu gu’n buineadh iad seo ris an àite anns an do nochd iad.  Ach a bheil seo fìor ? 1,500 km air falbh bho mo dhachaigh air tràighean Leòdhas is na Hearadh lorgaidh tu an aon stuth. Ma tha càirdeas aig cuid dhe do’n àite ‘s a’ chuairteachadh, tha tuilleadh mar dhearbhadh air an t-saoghal cruinneachal anns a bheil sinn uile beò.

A bheil thu a smaoineachduinn gu’n fhaithnicheadh tu na tràighean far an robh na nìthean seo air an lorg?

Laisse de mer describes what the sea leaves on the foreshore, be it natural or not.  I live beside the Bay of Biscay with access to a stretch of beach more than 100km long. During the winter months, storms deposit a lot of stuff on the beach:  Drift wood, animal remains, flotsam, ghost gear, traces of human activities.

One might think that these items relate to the place they are found. But do they? 1,500 km away from my home, you can also find those remains on the shores of Lewis and Harris. If some relate to the place and its surroundings, others are evidence of the globalised world we live in.

Do you think you would be able to tell on which shores these items were found?

Pierre Lansac 2024

After studying ethnology and prehistory in university, Pierre Lansac devoted himself to journalism and photography. Favouring long-term photographic work, he followed and photographed a group of tidal bore surfers for seven years, and for several more years documented the architecture of the Bordeaux metropolis at night. He discovered Lewis and Harris in 2019 and began this photographic work in 2022 in France. The two connected this spring during a two week stay where he roamed the shores of the island in search of interesting items. This work is still in progress.