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ThErEaLDoLLyFrikka — look at me.
Published: 2009-04-19 12:15:27 +0000 UTC; Views: 647; Favourites: 35; Downloads: 24
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The model is
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It is up to the viewer to decide if this captivating, slightly unnerving expression is a fleeting glance captured in half a moment, or an intentionally penetrating stare. The benefit of such candid but beautiful portraiture is that it's open to such vast interpretation.
The photographer has really chosen to engage with this subject. The picture is close, it's unflinching and it's tough. The hard lines of the mouth and eyes don't so much draw you in as grab you by the neck and keep you interested. Her features seem to have something to say, her face is speaking volumes, but there is an understanding of a private world; the subject is more than a model - she is going through something that we are not privy to. There is a suggestion of facade here. The very natural, grainy texture of the skin and the freckles and moles give an organic 'girl-next-door' suggestion, while the harsh, dark make-up is almost like a castle wall of defense, keeping us at a safe distance and intimidating us through untouchability as well as beauty. The black ribbon also offers a sense of 'dress up' and battle armour, layering the subject for us, to give the portrait depth and intrigue.
This kind of tough, cold-looking shot is fascinating to look at and it keeps your attention long after you've viewed it for the first time. It's in a very similar tradition to Mary Ellen Mark's work, which uses the hardened defenses and disaffection of the subjects in order to constitute their feelings and describe their lives.
(Links to two Mary Ellen Mark photos)
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