Marionettes

“Birthday wish” is part of the new series Marionettes

Marionettes is a fantastical series showing hyper-real realities through the issues of isolation and loss of control under the weight of daily life. The pace, pressures and rigors of life have reached a crisis point,”

“My images are a snapshot, mid-moment, they don’t begin or end”. The viewers own imagination finishes the story. Theatrically staged and captured on traditional film using a medium format camera, the detail of the images captures your imagination.

Wolf

Utopia

These images capture a sense of movement. There is a disconcerting awkwardness in their pose: something troubling that needs to be answered.

In Lullaby, the girl is cold, suspended in motion, but seems to have found resigned peace. Spirited has a more troubling appearance, almost as if the girl is taking her last breath and giving in to the darkness of the ocean. The images make one think of the immense power and timelessness of the ocean and water, in contrast to the fragility of the girls. Darkness closes in from the edges of the frame, and the surface of the water, like a low ceiling, gives an oppressive, claustrophobic feeling. Yet beauty eclipse all.

Vintage Dolls

We find ourselves in the secret garden of our childhood dreams. Were reality and dreams become one, anything is possible. The image depicts a surreal scene where imagination, fantasy and child’s play interconnect to gradually replace the reality of our world. The decrepit house exposes its secrets as the girl transforms into the animal of her story, rays of moonlight stream through jagged holes torn in the wall, and a living tree sprouts through the floor in the middle of the night. We are drawn in, entranced.

Childhood Fears

Childhood fears are often not rationally understood or easily articulated. They can be real or imagined, felt physically or mentally, yet all of these experiences are equally powerful.

“If I keep my eyes closed” is one of the key pieces in “Childhood Fears” by Samantha Everton. The dangers of the imagination that we feel in childhood are just as potent as the fears felt in reality. They are universal, often not rationally understood or easily articulated, but span cultural and social divides, intrinsically connecting all in one common thread. “I wanted this image to have a ghostly, other-worldly feel about it, as if in a dream like state, which juxtaposed against the reality of the situation”.

Catharsis

Catharsis is a series of images of contrasting female figures portraying the intersection of Eastern and Western culture. Employing the recurring motif of the butterfly, they are finished in rich, vibrant colour, with elegant detail in costumes, setting and form, reflecting upon contemporary culture and society. These images are both hauntingly beautiful and deeply compelling. Their strength lies not only in their poignancy and intensity, but in their ability to communicate deep and profound messages to all that see them.

Collected Works