Human: A Work in Progress
Marina Zivkovic
This event has concluded
Dates:
Entry Fee:
Free
Exhibition Event:
Official Opening
12/05/2018 4:30 pm
Artist Talk
12/05/2018 6:30 am
Self Portrait series exploring common household “props” as a stimulus to develop characters and persona – drawing from life experience, socio-cultural themes and heavily influenced by the subconscious. A play on Art history, renaissance lighting and juxtaposing the sometimes absurd items worn with latent underlying issues in life and society. These simple images hold complex themes and ideas beneath their surface.
This Self Portrait series was sparked by an exploration into dramatic natural lighting. Instead the series morphed into a sometimes humorous exploration of characterisation by using household objects as props or stimulus to develop a character. In this series I am influenced by Rembrandt lighting and the Renaissance era. This series commenced inspired by Hendrik Kerstens (e.g. Image 1 The Dutchess, Image 2 The Maid) but then developed into a playful exploration of characterisation (e.g. Image 5 candle holder, Image 6 fruit bowl, Image 8 garbage bin lid). The simplicity of the images is juxtaposed with layers of meaning. As a character is developed the images are infused with thoughts, histories and a conscience. The initial idea was that from a distance the photograph alludes to paintings of old, but upon closer examination, one may become surprised or even delighted to find the objects to be playful, absurd and at times eliciting humour! As the series progressed the characters took over: the ‘Warrior Woman’ (life as a sole parent, Image 7); and, the ‘Ice Queen’ (for times we hold it together and the labels we are given for doing so, Image 9). The ‘wearing a dining chair cushion very seriously as a hat’ (Image 10) and the garbage bin lid hat reference the idea of the fashion victim. For example, the garbage bin lid is positioned as a ‘satellite dish’ absorbing “garbage” by osmosis as is sometimes the intention of subliminal marketing and advertising; as well as being used as an absurd object of fashion alluding to the modern era (the idea that you can make anything look good), yet the Renaissance lighting gives this image an other worldly feel. Each image in this series has it’s own story, a sometimes deep connection to society, the subconscious, art and life experience.
Rebelliously a former self proclaimed “bit of a jack of all trades” – having moved between careers in law, acting, education and now, photography. My greatest passions lay in the creative fields. Thus relentlessly, I dabble in fine arts and experimenting with incorporating photography into it and vice versa. Currently, I’m a most devoted sole parent to a charming and energic little man with a flair for the dramatic. A recent graduate of Western Sydney Institute with a Diploma in Photography and Photo Imaging, I am 2017 NSW AIPP Professional Student Photographer of the Year, and also received a silver award for one of my fine art prints at APPA (nationals). One of my self portraits can be found published in the Capture Annual 2017.
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