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GIF Portraits Capture Everyday Frustrations

French artist Francois Beaurain finds humor in the monotony of civilization on loop.
Images courtesy Francois Beaurain

While new media artists are the usual suspects when it comes to creating GIF art, occasionally artists from other disciplines have a go at them. Like French artist Francois Beaurain, who usually works with media like drawing, sculpture, collage and photography.

His latest project, Monday Morning Again, is very personal. In it he highlights the various moods that come with returning to Paris office life after time spent traveling the globe.

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Beaurain’s GIFs are very much influenced by his photography, but also have a sort of minimalist digital collage element to them. He also imbues them with a generous dose of absurdity and humor.

“I came to GIFs two years ago while I was living in Liberia,” he tells The Creators Project. “I started to do GIFs by chance but found out that it was a really powerful tool to describe Liberia—a country usually depicted by media for its child soldiers and Ebola—in a positive, funny and poetic way.”

“I haven't stopped doing GIFs since, but in many different manners,” Beaurain adds. “I am always trying new ways to explore GIF potential. As I am traveling a lot, the result is eclectic, from an old mining site in Georgia to colorful kites. I am somehow a GIF explorer.”

Click here to see more of Francois Beaurain’s work.

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