Lost In Space
2017
As a photographer specialising in fashion and portraiture, I question the methods of imagery used in the fashion industry. I have been investigating whether it would be beneficial to move to new representations, symbolism and coding. I want the main communication to be between the fabric - its form, movement and drape and the photographer and viewer.
Initially my thinking was through fabric. I attempted to learn more about fabric, by using a dancer as a model, creating a sense of sculpture and fluidity. By digital subtraction of traditional contexts in fashion photography, for example, identity and location I increased my knowledge of the fabric, further. This enabled me to create an installation which combined actual pieces of fabric with images, challenging the perception to determine which real 3D pieces were and which were 2D representations.
The concept of subtraction continues to run through my work, but now in the context of the naked body. Fascinated by the potential of nude imagery emerging from my studies of Paulo Roversi, I am seeking to reveal a deeper sense of beauty by using suggestion. I achieve this through digital subtraction, stripping out all identity, expression, sexuality and objectification. I used an infinity cove studio with high key lighting associated with the fashion industry and an intentionally pale model. The resulting images were heavily cropped. This exemplified the subtraction technique and enabled me to create sculptures out of the lines of the body. I extended these lines into the empty space by mark making with thread. This empty space and the use of mark making gave me an opportunity to express my personal thoughts and feelings. Drawing with thread as a medium has been chosen for its materiality, aesthetic and three dimensional impacts. I use different marks and sewing techniques working with, against and across the lines. This creates different emotions, envelopes movement, and conceals and reveals different aspects of the body. Use of thread in this way helps me to discover my own emotions, thoughts and feelings as a response to these sculptural forms.