Her images are intended to question the standards that we, as a society, place on aging.
We spoke to Clement about her work as well as another photography seriesalso dealing with agethats on the horizon.
Scroll down to read My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
An encounter with a 102-year-old woman named Marie-Berthe was revelatory for you.
Can you describe what happened and why you found it so enlightening?
When I photographed Marie-Berthe, I was amazed by her ease in front of the camera.
She acted like she was a young glamorous actress who feels sexy and attractive even though she was 102.
How did you find people to photograph for this project?
I found most of my models through social media.
The vulnerability you are referring to came very naturally, possibly because of the nature of the project.
Life is too short.
Everyone would benefit from more freedom, independence, self-love.
Why do you portray your models in black and white?
I have always been a black and white photographer.
I started with analog photography in university, which I pretty much spent in the darkroom.
I admire color photographers but I found my images to be more powerful when in black and white.
What do you hope people take away from your photographs?
I certainly hope that my photographs make people feel better about aging.
I also hope that they raise awareness about certain challenges related to aging.
What are you working on now?
Anything exciting you could tell us about?
I’m working on a project on the Blue Zones.
The inhabitants of these regions share lifestyle characteristics that contribute to their exceptionally long life expectancy.
I went to the five zones and finished my travels in late December of 2019.
