When France-based light and performance artist Julien Breton — aka Kaalam — creates one of his unique pieces, it requires a bit of dance. Using a hand-held light and long-exposure photographic techniques, he performs carefully choreographed movements to make the alphabet characters that populate his surroundings, a mix of urban environments and lush landscapes. Inspired by traditional Arabic and Eastern calligraphy, each of the shapes (which are beautiful in their own right) can take up to ten minutes of repeated motions to fully capture. As you click through our slide show, be sure to keep this in mind — none of the photographs have been retouched or edited. Pretty impressive, right?
Egypt. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton. [Spotted via designboom]
Redhook, Brooklyn. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Brooklyn Bridge. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Worksop, England. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Nantes, France. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Le Cellier, France. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Franciacorta, Italy. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Dampsmesnil, France. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton
Trélissac, France. Photograph by David Gallard. Image © Julien Breton