French photographer Julie Arnoux has transformed her experience of devastating wildfires into a unique artistic journey that combines photography with her painting background. Her innovative work emerged from the traumatic summer of 2022, when massive fires ravaged the Arcachon Bay area in southwestern France, creating a series that reimagines scorched landscapes as vibrant, healing imagery.

During the summer of 2022, wildfires swept through the Arcachon Bay region, blackening the horizon and consuming vast stretches of forest. Rather than flee from the devastation, Arnoux sought refuge in the Aspe Valley in the mountains, where she could breathe and continue her photographic work. This mountain retreat became the starting point for what would evolve into a profound artistic exploration of nature, trauma, and recovery.

Arnoux's artistic foundation lies in painting, which she credits as her first means of creative expression. This pictorial background remains evident in her current photographic approach, influencing how she manipulates and presents her images. Photography came naturally to her later in her artistic development, but it was the shock of witnessing the destructive wildfires that sparked her first reimagined photographs.

Her creative process involves transforming landscapes into photographic negatives before recoloring them with vibrant hues. This technique serves as what she describes as "a way of revealing what the fire had hidden, of letting nature reclaim its voice." Arnoux characterizes this work as an attempt to repair or soothe the damaged landscape, using soft colors like a gentle caress against the charred blackness left by the flames.

The photographer's relationship with nature extends far beyond artistic inspiration, serving as a refuge and healing space in the face of global violence and personal anxieties. She explains that being in contact with nature has become a necessity for her, both as an individual and as part of the collective human experience. For Arnoux, protecting nature is intrinsically linked to protecting herself from personal suffering and broader existential concerns.

During her hiking expeditions, Arnoux envisions thousands of potential paintings in the landscapes around her. Her photographs capture fragments of these mental images, serving as starting points for inner journeys where colors become saturated and vibrant. Each landscape photograph represents not just a physical location, but a space for mental and emotional exploration.

A distinctive element of Arnoux's work involves her use of charred wood frames, created using the traditional Japanese shō sugi ban method of wood treatment. These frames, made from burned pine wood, retain the smell of ash and occasionally crackle, creating a multi-sensory experience for viewers. The frames serve not merely as decoration but as integral components that engage in dialogue with the artwork itself.

By framing her vibrant photographs with charred pine wood, Arnoux maintains a tangible connection to the fires and scorched landscapes that inspired her work. This juxtaposition represents both the feelings of loss associated with environmental destruction and nature's remarkable ability to resist and transform. The blackened wood becomes a canvas that supports and contrasts with the vibrant imagery it surrounds.

Arnoux's artistic philosophy centers on inviting viewers to slow down and engage emotionally with her work, allowing themselves to be moved by the intersection of destruction and renewal. Her photographs transcend simple landscape documentation, offering spaces for introspection and contemplation. Through her unique combination of photography, painting techniques, and innovative framing methods, she creates art that addresses both environmental concerns and the human need for healing and connection with nature.