INTERVIEW WITH:
CLÉMENT THUAULT
Beyond the Lens: Clement Thuault on Crafting a Dreamlike Perspective
Clément Thuault has mastered the art of turning fleeting moments into enduring mysteries. Blending spontaneity with carefully crafted optical illusions, his photography invites viewers to reimagine the world through prisms, double exposures, and the imperfect beauty of real life.
In this interview with Cluster, Thuault reflects on his inspirations, his fascination with the unusual, and how his creative process opens up new ways of seeing, transforming even the familiar into the fantastical.
GLITCH OF METAMORPHOSIS
COMING OUT, COMING IN
Hi Clement! Many of your photographs have a dreamlike quality. How do you conceptualise a piece before you begin, or is your process more spontaneous?
While I often dream up and think through concepts beforehand, the actual process is spontaneous. I capture real-life scenes as they unfold, but I bring an imaginative, dreamlike perspective to them. It’s a blend of pre-conceived ideas and the spontaneity of life, where I subtly distort reality in real time, turning everyday moments into something more surreal and poetic.
Your work often transforms everyday scenes into extraordinary compositions. What role does your personal perspective play in deciding what subjects to photograph?
I've always been fascinated by the strange. Art, old films, anything that allows me to imagine a reality less mundane. It’s likely true that I’m neurodivergent, and this gives me a broader perspective. I choose my subjects because they’re original, dreamlike, and don’t remind people of everyday life.
SOCIAL LADDER
What challenges do you encounter when working with double exposures and prisms, and how do you overcome them?
My challenge and my originality is playing photography like a street photographer. You have only one chance. You have to choose the good technique or prisms at the right moment. It's something you usually do in a studio or with a model, where you can redo it. But for me, it's real life—there's no replay button.
CROSSING MORE THAN CITY LINES
THE BUTTOCKS OF A BI-POLAR WOMAN
Are there any particular reactions or interpretations from viewers that have surprised you or influenced your work in new ways?
Yes, I've often been compared on Instagram to great photographers whose work I wasn't aware of before, like Saul Leiter, Brassaï, and Daido Moriyama... I've become a fan. We're playing the same game. We've had similar thoughts. For instance, Saul Leiter started as a painter and continued photography with a painter's eye. That's also the case for me.
Your work often blurs the boundaries between reality and illusion, inviting viewers to question what they see. How do you hope audiences interpret your work?
I hope I will inspire them. Open the imaginary gate. You just need to squint to see a different universe appear, filled with marvellous optical illusions that, paradoxically, are far more real than a perfectly sharp photograph. In truth, our eye is an autofocus that isn't always perfectly aligned.
THE WITCH
“I've always been fascinated by the strange. Art, old films, anything that allows me to imagine a reality less mundane.”
Given your distinctive approach, are there new techniques or technologies in photography that you’re interested in exploring or incorporating into your work?
I love experimenting. I'd like to revisit older techniques, like creating my own prisms. I also use AI on my digital camera that does makeup when I photograph models. I'm really open to anything as long as I'm having fun.
CLÉMENT THUAULT
Thank you for reading,
Alexandra, Ema & the Cluster Team.