Marie Poupinel

With this “behind de scenes” of Patrick Roger – crowned Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2000 – I sought to bring texture and context to this mysterious and often under-documented universe of taste. Coined a laboratory, Roger’s chocolate-manufacturing hones its scientific roots, one that he intermingles with personalised aestheticism. As artists, chemists, sculptors, chef, I was keen to discover and capture this plurality of know-hows and identities that lies behind the title of “Chocolatier”. Moreover, the portfolio’s colour palette, with its sober, elegant hues and graphic composition attempts to demonstrate how Roger elevates chocolate to the status of an objet-d’art. My lens focused on minute details, putting emphasis on the way that every sliver of chocolate enjoyed singular attention. Operating under a frenetic, military-like cadence, an elite regiment of chocolatiers bring to life, step by step, a rich palette of senses and flavours. With close-ups and sharp angles I illustrate this drastic policy of precision and refinement.