- Text and photography by
- Mona Kuhn
DIANE ROUXEL
The young actress Diane Rouxel makes a striking impression in Standing Tall, the new film which opened on Friday about the French juvenile legal system starring Rod Paradot in a César-winning turn as the blindingly aggressive young troublemaker Malony and Catherine Deneuve as the patient judge trying to help him through the system. Rouxel, her hair buzzed and her blue eyes glinting, plays Malony’s love interest, and earned herself a César nomination for most promising newcomer for her performance, which buzzed with the same visceral energy she showed as the lead in Larry Clark’s The Smell of Us last year.
Rouxel made a similarly powerful impact on artist and photographer Mona Kuhn when they first saw each other a dozen years ago in a town on the French coast. As Kuhn explains below, Rouxel went on to become her muse and, more importantly, her close friend in the years since. She shares some never-before-seen images from her archive of the budding actress with us, as well as her latest portraits from this weekend in Los Angeles.
In the last twenty years, I have enjoyed spending the summers in France, where I continue to create some of my personal work. It is my little place in heaven, a modest house in a small town by the Atlantic coast, a place I consider to be my atelier, my creative space. It’s a safe place, where we always leave doors open and friends come and go. We spend many hours by the terrace or garden, enjoying the summer weather. It was in this small town that I first met Diane Rouxel twelve years ago. I still remember the first time I saw her: at that moment, I was busy with friends and guests who were visiting and staying for a few days, when suddenly I saw from the terrace this young French girl passing by on her bike with her long hair flowing in the wind. That first glimpse left a lasting impression.
A few weeks later, I learned she lived close by, and that we had a few friends in common. What I did not know at that time is that Diane was also somewhat curious about this house with so many people coming and going, where she had heard a photographer lives. Coming from a family of artists, Diane was naturally inquisitive about the nature of my work. By the end of that summer, Diane started hanging out more with us and observing the shoots. I remember her at times bringing along her camera, photographing on the side, something I always welcome, as I enjoy creative energy around.
With the many friends hanging out among us, Diane was rather reserved and observant. However, for me, her quiet presence was filled with her mysterious beauty. Over the years, we spent many summers together. Aside from being in front of the camera, Diane also started taking up photography on her own and I enjoyed becoming a mentor over time. At times, I catch myself being flattered when Diane mentions my work being an inspiration to her.
Collaborating with Diane was a natural evolution of our trusting friendship. An important part of my work is to bring life and art as one. It is a privilege for me to work with people I know well and consider part of my extended family. Since then, collaborating with Diane has been an unfolding journey.
From 2007 to 2009, Diane posed for a series of portraits that were later included in the “Bordeaux Series,” published by Steidl in 2011. That series was exhibited in Paris and London before coming to the US. In parallel, I had started another series, photographing nostalgic scenes. Aside from continuing to be part of my work, Diane also helped so much by bringing some of her close friends with her into the series. Our friendship has always been more important than the work, which we consider to be a sliver of it. We remain close to each other and often talk about future projects. Stay tuned!
- Text and photography by
- Mona Kuhn
