The first major retrospective dedicated to the work of photographer Andy Julia.
Spanning more than twenty-five years of creation, the book traces a singular journey through photography, music, fashion, architecture, and underground countercultures—beginning in the world of Les Légions Noires castle in the early 1990s and leading all the way to the most secret chambers of the Château de Versailles.
Its title refers to the alchemical concept of the Materia Prima, the primordial substance from which all transformation becomes possible. An idea that strongly resonates with Andy Julia's work, whose images transform reality into elegant, melancholic worlds often tinged with mystery.
The book also looks back at his many collaborations with Parisian Gentleman as well as artists such as Alcest, Perturbator, Heilung and Dernière Volonté. Exhibitions, improvised photo shoots, travels and encounters — including a now legendary session with Zombie Boy in the catacombs—complete this retrospective rich in images and memories.
Balancing elegance, dark poetry and spontaneity, Materia Prima brings together more than two decades of an instantly recognizable photographic vision.
Andy Julia (born in 1982) is a French photographer based in Paris. He works with international magazines and clients, and his photographs are exhibited around the world. His dreamlike world blends aesthetic influences from painting, fashion, and cinema.
