1st Place winner
Blush
DESCRIPTION
Blush is taken from the series Selfhood. Selfhood is in part inspired by the proverb "The eyes are the window to the soul" and a desire to challenge the need to see the eyes within a portrait. The intention in each portrait is to create a character and a narrative and encourage an empathy without the visual stimulation of the eyes.The conscious composition of each image gives the character a foundation in reality whilst combining fantastical creative elements to challenge the viewer's preconceptions surrounding the connotations of each individual outfit and distinctive concealment of the eyes.
The viewer is inspired to make their own inferences about the subject's persona and circumstance by drawing on personal connections and interpretations to each image, whether these be from memory or culture. Therefore each portrait in the series can take on a number of different identities depending on links made by the viewer to their own experiences and opinions.
AUTHOR
Vicky Martin is a fine art photographer based in the UK. Although she studied art and photography in the 1990s it was not until 2008 when she was awarded a prestigious Rhubarb Rhubarb bursary that she was able to pursue photography full time. Since the Rhubarb Rhubarb bursary Vicky has had her work exhibited nationally and internationally - including Los Angeles, South Carolina, Vermont, Rhode Island, Minneapolis, Budapest, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and London.