Future Maniac, Tom de Peyret for Lampoon

Tom de Peyret portrays imposing psychological structures of the feminine, resembling gilded totems rising above dystopian and desolate scenarios

Tom de Peyret for Lampoon Issue 29 – Future Maniac

In Future Maniac, Tom de Peyret delves into a realm where the boundary between humanity and technology blurs. He juxtaposes stark, industrial backdrops with ethereal, neon-lit environments, creating a dialogue between decay and innovation.

This contrast echoes the philosophical dichotomy between Nietzschean ideas of eternal recurrence and the perpetual drive for novelty and progress. Literary influences are palpable: the shoot nods to Philip K. Dick’s explorations of altered realities and the human psyche, as well as William Gibson’s cyberpunk visions where the line between human and machine is perpetually blurred. The manic energy of de Peyret’s frames can be likened to the frenetic prose of James Joyce, capturing the stream of consciousness of a society hurtling towards an uncertain future. 

Tom de Peyret: a short biography of the photographer of silent infrastructures

Tom de Peyret, a young photographer born in Paris in 1986, explores the intricate workings of power through his lens. Rather than capturing its flashy facades, he delves into the winding paths of its silent infrastructures. His journey with his family, changing cities every two to three years, exposed him to diverse urban landscapes from a young age. Besides Paris, he lived in Geneva, Brussels, and Istanbul, experiences that shaped his unique visual language.

After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese Art History and Translation of Asian Languages in Paris in 2008, de Peyret moved back to Geneva to pursue a Bachelor of Photography at ECAL, the renowned School of Art and Design in Lausanne. His artistic journey took a significant turn during a six-month residency at the Swiss Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, where he developed “Ephemeral,” a series on traditional Chinese medicine in collaboration with his partner, art director Chloë Berthaudin.

In early 2013, de Peyret returned to Paris and began working as a fashion photographer. However, his portfolio extends beyond fashion, encompassing abstract light pictures, portraits, and architecture. Urban environments are a recurring theme in his work, even when shooting fashion, and he exclusively uses analog cameras, drawing inspiration from photographers like Thomas Demand, Wolfgang Tillmans, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and Taryn Simon. Like these contemporaries, de Peyret meticulously stages his photographs, preferring to create a perfect imagined scene rather than waiting for the right moment.

New York Times Plaza, the photography book by Tom de Peyret

Tom de Peyret released the photography book New York Times Plaza. The book moves away from the typical tourist scenes of New York to scrutinize the city’s anonymous foundation, the everyday mechanisms that allow it to function as the unofficial capital of the Empire. His images rarely reveal recognizable parts of New York—perhaps just a bridge, a distant skyscraper, or the New York Times logo as he explores its printing presses in a Queens factory. The book unveils the city’s industrial backstage, using the newspaper’s layered, offset inks to remind us that New York is a complex machine, a centrifugal engineering marvel that distributes information, goods, and capital.

Tom de Peyret’s odyssey through New York is indirect, passing through inaccessible, forbidden, or abandoned areas. From military zones to construction sites, prisons to airports, his journey mirrors an exploration of the New York Times presses. Here, the almost archaic form of the newspaper is printed, to be read hours later in grand hotels, airport lobbies, or public libraries worldwide, delivered by the trucks seen on the highway interchanges of the Five Boroughs. His work is a testament to his meticulous technique and preference for large format photography, which allows him to produce large-scale image prints and affirm his status as an artist.

Future Maniac

PHOTOGRAPHY | TOM DE PEYRET
STYLING | CLOTILDE FRANCESCHI
HAIR | QUENTIN GUYEN @WSM
MAKEUP | HUGO VILLARD @CALLISTE
SET DESIGN | JEANNE DEKONINK
CASTING | NICOLAS BIANCIOTTO @IKKICASTING
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT | AUBANE DESPRÉS
STYLING ASSISTANT | SAAD AHELLAL
TALENT | NADINE @OUIMANAGEMENT

Matteo Mammoli