Devaux works with black and white images to create eerie, disjointed images, which are often of figures and portraits. The piece "Fardeau" depicts a vague, mangled shape of a woman's figure in front of drapes, a reaching hand, and the thorn crown of Jesus. The woman's body is pieced together with bits of several bodies including her face and chest, a separate hand, a muscular arm, an arm that takes the place of her right leg, and a clawed limb for her left leg. The thorn crown is a similar value to the woman's skin tone and gives the illusion of torn flesh. The background is dark and ambiguous, providing a stark contrast to the main figure.

Devaux's photomontages all appear to be reconstructed figures that create deformed, jagged shapes. These figures are the opposite of what these paintings once were- smooth, graceful representations of beautiful women and idealized bodies. The careful attention to anatomy and realistic lighting has been destroyed and replaced by awkward, misshapen structures. The lack of color places emphasis on the shapes in the piece and gives it a solemn mood. Devaux makes no attempt to create a believable image that viewers could mistake for reality. The construction of the piece is very visible and the different sources still feel separate. His use of traditional painted images has a similar effect to Jeff Wall's piece. By using familiar images for a new composition he creates a sense of confusion and the illogical structure of something as familiar as the human figure has a disturbing quality.

The meaning behind Devaux's image could be a statement against idealization of people, whether it is their body image or religious significance. He has taken a classic example of fine art and turned it into a new form of art that some viewers may find upsetting. Jeff Wall's image is an example of the possibilities new technology provides in the creation of art. A convincing combination of two images is now easily created when it had once been nearly impossible. The statement "the camera never lies" is not longer valid with the illusion he has made and it poses the question, "can we always believe what we see?" Our logic conflicts with our eyes and it is sometimes difficult to decide which to believe.

Go on your right to see all the photos