“A carefree letting go of oneself, not a caution, but a wise blindness.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
CAREFREE
Elegant, serene, and beautifully drawn, Mitchell visually encapsulates the aesthetic of the East. The model is bathed in bright light, her form appearing out of an expert use of shadow. Yet Mitchell presents us with much more than a beautiful portrait.
Shot with a slow exposure to capture the flow of water, Darwin captures this intimate natural close-up in an almost abstract fashion. The slow erosion of rock forms into stunning shapes is alluded to as the water pours over the rock. Blues, bronzes and whites join together harmoniously. Taken in Nigel Creek in Rocky Mountains, Darwin captures a snapshot of the larger ecology of the great Canadian outdoors.
Mia Collis has a respected photo-documentary track record stretching back 8 years in East Africa and around the world. Born in Kenya, educated in Britain with a major in Anthropology, she’s currently based out of Nairobi.
Shot in December 2006 in natural light, Yeo remarks that ‘The Twins’ were photographed on the seafront in Folkestone during the Christmas holidays. The couple intrigued and fascinated me in equal measure. Everything about them is the same from their facial expression to the teddy bears hanging from their bags.
In this photograph, the influence of Helmut Newton on Federici’s style is undeniable. Using a strong spotlight, this photograph presents a tantalising snapshot of a moment before it disappears back into the night, as if it has been discovered by surprise. While devoid of any tangible sense of location, the delicate spirals of the balustrade recall the steps that meet Paris’ river Seine.
This startling image of washed-up icebergs is almost abstract in its conception. Stranded by the receding tide, they are stuck on the black volcanic sand and the waves then smash them down to smaller icebergs. Perhaps most striking about this image is its rarity and unusual subject matter. Not often do we get to appreciate the intricate form of icebergs on land.
The soft multi-colours of this portrait in many ways invoke the aesthetics of festivals and religious occasions. Yellows, greens, blues and reds electrify the surface of her face in this intimate portrait.
One can almost sense the power of wind billowing out the 60 foot sails of the boats.
This expansive landscape of Gentoo Penguins, taken on Saunders Island, is a stunning example of Darwin’s landscape work. Walking along the beach, the penguins stand close the sea edge, with gulls flying overhead.
Taking inspiration from the Surrealists, Matthias Hakker deconstructs the perspective of the staircase, freeing it to float abstractly over the picture plane. This monochrome photograph is reminiscent of Man Ray’s rayographs in the 1930s. Here, the graceful curves of the stairwell remind us of the famous Buddhist ‘Ying yang’ sign.