Phobia, Philias, Fetish

The work that will come out of this year’s research and practice will be the assemblage of grotesque human and animal interaction. Working with a highly produced photographic practice, I am approaching my “subject” as a fashion photographer would his young, female model. In both of these scenarios, the object is fetishised by the photographer.

I am proposing an exhibition of photographs and videos, each which depict a different perspective on the subject portrayed. Some will be ethereal, romantic, and soft images. Others will be grotesque, and harsh, and often disgusting. Some will be fantastically beautiful, and reminiscent of something sweet and sensual. All of these attributes will be revealed by the different approaches, and by the different processes applied. There will be a look into the production of some of these shoots, revealing the exploitative quality prevalent in all photographic work. There will also be the highly produced footage which is completely divorced from its process by the time it makes it to presentation. What is interesting about all of this is abstraction and representation. One object revealed in a variety of different ways. And given my taste, the most beautiful view of the creature is the most grotesque, and the most erotic.

phobia, philias. fetish. the eroticisation of a philias.

The aspect which is new to my work is the inclusion of video documents of my photo shoots.

In my earlier works, I have often placed myself in the image, and used the light as a metaphorical gaze that burns and tarnishes the skin, changing its natural tones. I became my own object, and turned my body into the meaningless flesh in which it often feels to be.

In this project, I am revealing more about the practice of exploitation and objectification in a rather uncommon style. There is a veil of intimacy in the images, but really, there is no reciprocity between myself and the subject because they are just that. my subject, and they are not a willing participant but i dominate the animal and force it to perform for me. granted, i also show them affection, and they do seem to love it.

The key elements in the photographic work is the pull between the erotic and the grotesque, and the confrontation between body and landscape. The photographic work is typically isolated from a recognisable environment, and relies on the juxtaposition of the figures, the shadows and lines of the lighting, and the texture of the skin.

The slow motion

why i love those cow flaps they remind me of the vagina and of something wet and flowing, I find their movement sensual, and it reminds me of the sensation of becoming aroused- but - i am not aroused by the sight of the flaps, but in some way, they are very reminiscent of it.