How does a portrait photographer create an intensely personal series without setting foot in front of the camera? Meredith Andrews uses models as surrogates in 'Island Obscura', a new show that opened at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art at the end of September.
In something of a departure from her usual style of portraiture which often features subjects posed formally while looking directly at the camera, this new series sees the models, who are stand-ins for Andrews herself, striking pensive or playful poses with their identities hidden or obscured. Andrews views the series as an expression of her Bermudian experience. The locations were carefully chosen for their importance to Andrews personally, and she has given prominence to the surroundings: lush green vegetation, as abundant but often not given as much due as the blue waters that surround the island, gets a starring role while the models are either supporting characters or literally form part of the backdrop. This desire to blend in and go unnoticed is the common and recurring theme, and the models are often overlaid with images of plants or are photographed holding mirrors which are used to reflect the surrounding environment back to the observer and to create a form of camouflage. Adding to the natural feel, the pieces were printed on birch wood and its swirling grain added texture and depth to the images.
In something of a departure from her usual style of portraiture which often features subjects posed formally while looking directly at the camera, this new series sees the models, who are stand-ins for Andrews herself, striking pensive or playful poses with their identities hidden or obscured. Andrews views the series as an expression of her Bermudian experience. The locations were carefully chosen for their importance to Andrews personally, and she has given prominence to the surroundings: lush green vegetation, as abundant but often not given as much due as the blue waters that surround the island, gets a starring role while the models are either supporting characters or literally form part of the backdrop. This desire to blend in and go unnoticed is the common and recurring theme, and the models are often overlaid with images of plants or are photographed holding mirrors which are used to reflect the surrounding environment back to the observer and to create a form of camouflage. Adding to the natural feel, the pieces were printed on birch wood and its swirling grain added texture and depth to the images.
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| Meredith Andrews |
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