benoit lapray imagines the secret, solitary lives of superheroes

benoit lapray imagines the secret, solitary lives of superheroes
all images courtesy of benoit lapray

with his series of portraits, paris-based artist benoit lapray asks ‘what do our comic book heroes do when they are not face to face with the enemy, or trying to save the life of a person in distress?’

set against natural landscapes and picturesque panoramas, superheroes in ‘the quest for the absolute’ series contemplate their surroundings, alone in vast spaces surrounded by nothing else but nature. momentarily withdrawn from civilization, the characters seem extraordinarily out-of-place on their own, without a crowd of civilians to save, or some urban, dystopian setting in the background. lapray captures the moment during which these famous vigilantes are not actually part of any action, and instead presents them as lonely beings who are seemingly on quest to find themselves. in the series, the viewer is left to figure out if the figures are lonesome in their companionless state, or merely enjoying a day off from their demanding daily duties.

batman contemplates in a deserted cave dwelling

superman, alone on a rock out at sea

spiderman hangs from a cavernous landscape

spiderman sits on the edge of a rocky terrain

catwoman hides in an alleyway

the incredible hulk barrels down a tree-lined pathway

wonderwoman sits on the edge of a waterfall

wolverine on the edge of a rocky cliff

silver surfer, alone above a picturesque landscape

thor

wonderwoman alone in a pool of water

flash goes on a run through a grassy expanse

superman contemplates the natural landscape that surrounds him

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