Mady & Monette, 2015

These are limited edition archival pigment photographs printed on Canson Baryta Prestige 340gsm paper. Joseph signs and numbers each piece on the front. 

Edition sizes



60x45cm (23.6" × 17.7") including white border - edition of 15 prints + 2 artist’s proofs.

120x90cm (47.2" × 35.4") including white border - edition of 5 prints + 2 artist’s proofs.

When the edition is sold out, no more prints will be made at that size.

About this picture

For this image we were lucky enough to work with Parisian twins Mady & Monette Malroux, thanks to the wonderful casting director, Sophy Mirti. The sisters have lived together all their lives. They dress identically and do absolutely everything together. 

It was a strange experience, working with a pair who are so closely bonded. We talked while I photographed them, and they explained that while others find it odd that they share such intrinsically linked lives, they feel sorry for people who are 'singular', as they describe people who aren't twins. 

They complete each other's sentences and always speak of 'we', 'us'. When they shop they buy two of everything. Their movements are synchronised: one will reach for something on a table, and the other will do the same. There is a slight but noticeable difference in character: one is more jokey, the other slightly more acerbic. 

As Mady and Monette were dressing, they acted as their own mirrors. Monette tried on her sweater while Mady admired the effect. As they put on their tulle tutus one of them commented 'We love them'. No need to ask her sister, she already knew that they would both feel the same way. This sort of encounter is one of the things I feel most grateful for in my work as a photographer.

Information about Invisible Jumpers

With this series I have matched people to their landscapes through custom knitwear, hand-made by Nina Dodd. Their individuality is expressed through their face, their hair, their body language. I enjoy exploring the contradictory notion of individuals blending into their background with custom-made, individual garments, made slowly by hand in a traditional way. Knitting is the ultimate analogue medium, complete with imperfections and replete with detail.

At a time when it is often assumed that anything out of the ordinary in photography is AI or CGI, it is satisfying to work with a deliberately slow, hand-crafted medium. The results aren’t perfect, there are bits that don’t match up. This is done for real. 

This project has been exhibited in galleries and museums in France, England, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Andorra and China, and is featured in the permanent collections of the Photography Museum of Lishui, China, and the Musée d’Art Urbain & Street Art Vauban, France. It has won a broad range of prizes and been featured on TV, influential blogs and mainstream newspapers.

It is also published as a book by Hoxton Mini Press.

Picture of print on wall is for illustration - size varies according to which print you purchase.

Only the prints are for sale, no knitting included! Photographs and videos are to illustrate the process behind the photographs.