The mannequins are not the reality of our society, but only a reflection of its surface.
Fashion, how to dress, image care, are all superficial aspects of Western consumer society, but still reflect its essence. The mannequins are a reflection of this reflection. The street is the surface of the city, a reflection of the life inside houses and buildings. Photography itself is a superficial representation of reality, only a reflection of what is deep under the surface.
The series Deep Surfaces Reflections is a visual exploration bouncing between these different layers of surfaces and reflections.
All photographs are taken in the streets, a no man’s land where everything is possible. The aim is to represent the surface of the cities where we live, what we are now, what we have in front of our eyes every day. There is no staging or intervention about the positions of the bodies, light or decorative elements.
As well as being a reflection of the city landscape, the mannequins are icons of the god of beauty, a silent and distant god. Ideal, unattainable, young, sexy, mysterious bodies. Never a smile that breaks the cold glacial on their faces. Confronted with this god we are all mannequins. All dressed in the same way, same pose, attitudes, same thoughts. Then are we ourselves, as mannequins are, icons of this deity? Perhaps are the mannequins looking at us while we believe the opposite? Mannequins became a mirror able to change the reflection of whoever casts his image on it. Therefore whoever has the control of mannequins can control what society looks like… is society indeed in control of itself? Or is society turning itself into a slave of mannequins?
In many photographs of Deep Surfaces Reflections, faces seem almost alive. The boundary between human being and mannequin become more and more indefinite. Thus the mannequins are also a reflection of ourselves. In their superficiality they can touch deep layers of existence. In their silence they seem to live emotions, feelings, hopes. They seem to share the feelings that make us human beings, they seem to wish to escape from their immobility.
Where does reality begin and reflection end? Who are they?
And who are we?
Deep Surface Reflections
E’ un lavoro intrigante Fabiano. Guardando le foto, dopo un po’, si fatica a continuare a considerarli manichini. E quindi il confine – labile – tra plastica e carne tende ad annullarsi e, inevitabilmente, si è attratti dagli sguardi o dalle espressioni…. Buona idea e belle foto, bravo.
Massimo
Ciao Massimo
grazie dei commenti. L’idea era proprio quella di giocare fra realtà e immaginazione, in molti scatti i manichini sembrano veramente quasi reali.
Forse vale la pena sottolinearlo: tutti gli scatti sono stati fatti fra la metà del 2007 e l’inizio del 2008.
that’s true – they seem almost alive! but it’s so only because of the way you looked at them, fabiano..
Thank you for all your comments Ieva, I really appreciate!
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