‘SECOND SELF: JUNO CALYPSO & CAROLINA MIZRAHI’
‘Second Self’ is an exhibition which brings together works by two emerging photographers.
Mizrahi is a graduate of the London College of Fashion, and I got to speak to her about her work on my visit to the gallery. She has been inspired by gender stereotypes, which is why the colour pink resonates through her work.
At first glimpse you’d be forgiven for thinking that much of the colour is done in post-production, but Mizrahi rarely uses this as a technique and all the work and colour is done in camera. She meticulously plans her photographs in advance and they usually turn out quite closely to how she planned.
From speaking to Mizrahi I got a glimpse into the preparation that goes into creating her work. All the props had to be painted, which can’t have been an easy feat when spray painting a bunch of flowers (see Avatar 5 below). Rest assured that the fish in Avatar 3 and the fruit in Avatar 2 managed to escape pink free.
It’s the minor details in the works which impressed me. I like how she left a burnt tip at the end of the pink cigarette in Avatar 6 (below). It stopped the photograph from being flat and adds that extra touch to this piece.
Avatar 3 (detail, top-right) is still and mesmerising. You can imagine that she waited for a long time to make sure that there were no ripples in the water and she probably directed the fish into that exact position.
Mizrahi does allow for some spontaneity on set. See Avatar 1 (below) for the stain on the table and Avatar 2 (below below) for the face in the fish bowl. These are touches that can’t be planned in advance but really bring the works to life. I admire the fact that she is willing to compromise on her vision when something works so well.
I was really impressed by these works. They do have an underlying message, but are also playful works from a skilled artist and photographer.
And she assures me she does use other colours.
*****
Juno Calypso is an award-winning photographer whose work has been exhibited extensively. I found her work much more powerful and unsettling than Mizrahi’s, but their styles are so different that it’s impossible to compare like with like.
Calypso stages much of her work in rented bedrooms and hotels. I found some of the pieces, such as The First Night (below) very filmic, and was reminded of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and the films of Pedro Almodóvar.
The Honeymoon Suite is a superb photograph where a lone woman gazes at her many reflections. I wondered if the character was actually on a honeymoon or whether she had the suite to herself. I felt the presence of a powerful woman but there is a sense of loneliness when looking at the same reflection so many times.
In Seaweed Wrap, a hand rises out of the bath. Is it gently resting there or is it trying hold on or reach for help?
Juno Calypso has created some powerful and provocative portraits that demand our attention.
*****
Finally, I feel compelled to mention Lauren McLaughlin’s A Conflict of Interest, which first caught my attention in one of the gallery’s e-zines sent out prior to Mother’s Day.
This is a bold and impressive piece, positioned prominently in the gallery’s window. The conflict of interest in the title could be the many roles that a mother has to play, which all light up in a fluorescent pink: Mother, other, her and Me. A must see.—Rhys Fullerton
‘Second Self: Juno Calypso & Carolina Mizrahi’ continues at Arusha Gallery (13A Dundas Street) until 17 August 2016. Admission free.