"Spectacle I" resonates profoundly with me as a captivating embodiment of dichotomy and raw expression. The repurposed animal trap, discovered in the abandoned outskirts of Berlin, serves as a powerful central prop, echoing Bataille's 'Vision of Excess.' The gelatinous-silver print, adorned with French marbled paper and watercolor, evokes a tactile richness that enhances the visceral experience.
The nuanced dance between vulnerability and dominance in the photograph is truly mesmerizing. The woman, seemingly ensnared in the trap, challenges conventional perceptions by assuming an attacking posture, exuding both aggression and sensuality. This interplay of victimhood and dominance creates a visually poetic tension, inviting viewers to explore the complex layers of power dynamics and human emotion. The toned Selenium print adds a sublime touch, enriching the overall narrative with a timeless quality. "Spectacle I" stands as a testament to the artist's ability to evoke profound narratives within the confines of a single frame, making it an enduring favorite.
— Eugenia Durandy Art Advisory, Paris.
The Bizarre Album
30 x 30cm, interleaved with red tissue paper.
30 gelatin-silver photographs approx. 12x17cm, 2024.
More Information
Statement written for “Art Within Fetish” group exhibition in 2021:
In my portraits, I explore the feeling of control. I set the scene, often in fine detail. I like to create the conditions in which a character can emerge from the subject. I am not interested in their every day persona. I like to temporarily free them from this and put them into a situation. I give them permission to embody something else, whether an archetype or another role. They play within the confines of a character and embody it as only they can. The characters come to me intuitively, often from ancient mythology. The subject acts as a medium to externalise these archetypes or energies, so I can meet them face to face. This enables me to have a visual experience of them, not only a literary one. They form patterns and shapes with their bodies, to create a feeling of immediacy, which is then captured in the photographs.
I shoot strictly analogue film and print by hand in the darkroom with the silver gelatin process. The negatives are cherished possessions, and are fragile like bodies. There is also a feeling of possessiveness in the images that once captured, become part of an archive, or a collection. I print very little of my images, as to warrant it, the image needs to have a heavy aura or haunted quality. If things go well, this comes out during the shoot, but often a picture will need to sit for a while in the archive before I can recognise it’s potential.
There's an intimacy on many levels, not only with the subjects but with the tactility of the process and the feeling of ownership in the physical manifestation of the photograph.
Winter Selection
Untergeschoss der Pandora Gallery, Berlin
27.01.24 — 02.03.24
Works exhibited:
Olya Nailed II, 2022
Olya Salomé III, 2023
Jessica White I, 2022
Marta Entsagung V, 2023
Elemental Pentagram: Fire, 2022
Spring Selection
Untergeschoss der Pandora Gallery, Berlin
04.05.24 — 25.05.24
Works exhibited:
Gate Beyond the Garden, 2016
Corpus/Cross I, 2023
Corpus/Cross II, 2023
Corpus/Cross III, 2023
Corpus/Cross IV, 2023
Corpus/Cross V, 2023
Corpus/Cross VI, 2023
Corpus/Cross VII, 2024
Corpus/Cross VIII, 2024
Marta Entsagung III, 2023
Omen II, 2023