EDITORS’ PICK

Mind and Matter

THE HUMAN BODY

The Human Body Editors’ Pick

Following Li Hui’s selection of winning images for our recent competition The Human Body, this compilation of 20 images represents some of the other talented photographers whose work struck us and left a mark. Each a stunning image worthy of exposure and attention…

When selecting for editor’s picks we’re always searching for those striking photographs that make for an unforgettable single image, whether from a broader series or not. We enjoy the accompanying text some photographers submit with their images, and while not always necessary it can be relevant when understanding the work in full context.

These are intended to be a conversation starter… so feel free to join the discussion on our social networks.

BANNER IMAGE: ANIELLA WEINBERGER

This photograph generates many narratives; on love, closeness – both physical and emotional – as well as the basic concept of touch. How we instinctively use and experience this sense in the most minute and immense ways. The pale palette of color and tone allows the fascial details to blend into one identity. A placid image of youth, connection and bodily intimacy. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Touch Intertwined. Shot on Portra 400 film.

GAVIN LIBOTTE

An enthralling and energetic scene awaits the viewer, the image packed full of action with layers of texture and form. The one hand reaches up above the waves, equally evoking a sense of danger as well as empowerment – does the hand belong to someone in peril or someone enjoying the thrill of the waves? A strikingly composed photograph with a strong symbolic structure to it. – LIFE FRAMER

MATTHEW MCQUILLAN

The scene is set like a commercial advertorial image with a motionless model, posing mid-action, spotlighting their abilities and giving the subject a statuesque quality. The dark toned, muted backdrop allows the athlete’s body to be the sole focus for the viewer as they study every inch of their physique, a physique that has enabled them to become one of the fastest female Paralympic sprinters in the UK. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – A photography and film project about young Paralympic athletes. Welsh Paralympian Julie Rogers one of the fastest female Paralympic sprinters in the UK, climbing to the world’s top five in the T42 rankings.

ANNA BIRET

The sun sits on the subject’s hands as if giving them a sign of appreciation, the earthy tones of the image bringing a depth and respect to the scene. The photographer searches for these intimate but instant stories amongst streets of strangers going about their day – the beauty of street photography is the stories the viewer can project upon the scenes and subjects within the frame. A candid image but a carefully chosen moment. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Candid street photos. HANDS, hands that give a sense of security, hands that confirm friendship, hands that are tired from work, hands that show the passing of time, just hands that are a picture of our emotions.

SIMEON VAN DER HOEVEN

The photographer uses this delicate image of simple symbology to subtly explore a significant issue of a global identity and spiritual crisis. Their work and research aims to address and help individuals solve these deep rooted problems and find solace in helping themselves and one another. The photograph of this flower with its petals ever extending, encourages the viewer to first look inward so they can then look outward and create change. A thought provoking, elegant image with an important message. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – SAHASRARA. My works were birthed through my exploration between the decline in mental health and individuals’ disconnect from self and how this combination is resulting in globally felt spiritual crisis – The sense of being lost. That there is a lack of safety and grounding to be found. The sense of instability in life and land.

Through these works I invite the viewer to stop, to take a moment, to breathe. I hold space so that the individual might reflect on how to reclaim connection to self, to community, to the Source, to healing. So that we can ground ourselves and embody consciousness. Creating a foundation for individual self awareness and healing. Healing that is born in the individual that can then be passed onto and shared with others. Multiplying its power and allowing the wider community the opportunity to do the same.

My work reflects on philosophical questions such as; “Where do we come from?”, “In which ways are we connected?”, “What is the power behind the cycles of birth and death?”, and “How can we use and harness these powers to heal through individual and connected consciousness?”. My work is an exploration and reflection of my own journey of healing and how these experiences have, and continue to, influence my visual art and therapeutic healing practices.

SONJA DEPPISCH

An familiar yet sometimes overlooked image where the photographer, lens and subject are locked in one intense exchange. The eye sits at the end of the scene as folds of skin and the curves of eye and brow bring the gaze upwards. An image with a feeling of infinity attached to it. – LIFE FRAMER

ALEJANDRO LOPEZ MARRERO

There is an authentic element of ‘If you can see it you can be it’ beating proudly from within this portrait. The subject chooses to put themselves in focus to help educate our society and support those who need it, when understanding and identifying as a trans person. Every detail of Stella Rose’s life is encapsulated in one way or another in the scene either via symbolism, pose or facial expression. A photograph of strength, and a body beyond social construct. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – A portrait of “Stella Rose”, a transgender person. More than a professional model, Stella Rose is defying the odds when it comes to breaking down walls regarding beauty and limitation. From surviving a rare syndrome from birth causing her amputation to finding and accepting her trans identity, Stella Rose is a natural-born fighter with a story to tell. She strives to inspire others by being her most authentic self and redefining what it means to be beautiful by showing being different is a gift. She finds that the best way to reach out and touch people is by being in front of a camera modeling/acting and creating art showing that nobody is stopped by their appearance or limitations.

KENNEDI CARTER

An image that brings with it several senses beyond just the visual as the photographer thoughtfully considers the textures, tones and positioning within the frame. The young subject appears almost adult like as they relax into their pose, seemingly quite comfortable and confident in this outdoor environment. The draped sheet, with its fold creases and lines, emphasises the subject’s youthful unwrinkled and unmarked skin. A wholesome depiction of being young. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Jaelle, 2020.

MANUELA MAROTTA

The photographer removes all color from the scene, leaving the viewer contemplating the commonalities between humans and nature, and possibly their own relationship with the natural world. The torch light fades down the walls of the cave leaving a perfect gradient of shadow rising up from the bottom of the scene. A beautifully composed image, that subtly delivers its message to the viewer. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – To heal and to restore broken bodies and restless souls. In this portrait I represent the importance of the feeling between human and nature. This strong connection, the symbiosis and the sense of connection with the natural environment can restore our body and our soul as in a cathartic act of purification.

SERGE BÉGUET

Here it feels as if the ability of the subject’s body is driven by self-belief rather than just physical capability. The photographer captures the angle perfectly for the viewer to slot themselves right into the scene as if they were witnessing this fascinating act in real time. A colorful and busy image full of energy, but with an underlying tone of uncertainty, provoking questions on why this performance is taking place and who’ll benefit in the end. – LIFE FRAMER

JOHN BULLOCK

The idea of not knowing how or if your body will recover from a virus that brought the world to a halt is no doubt an overwhelming experience. The photographer gives the scene space, allowing the gravitas of this situation to unfold, their careful composition of shadow and light surrounding the subject in symbolism while emphasising their isolation. In time this image and its accompanying series will hopefully help both the subject and photographer to digest the impact of this situation. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – My dad in physical therapy. He caught Covid and ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator for around 2 months. When they were finally able to get him off of sedation meds, and he was awake and aware again, I decided to ask permission to document the rest of his journey.

LÉA MICHAËLIS

The photographer highlights how heterosexuality is over-represented in our society and aims to showcase a more diverse culture of love and sexuality with their imagery – a vital attitude if we are to become more inclusive and understanding of one another. The portrait is of one of attraction and passion, the photographer uses the glowing natural light and its reflections to reinforce the intimacy of this moment and generate a sense of connection, tenderness and mutual affection. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Charlotte (21 years old) and Anna (20 years old), in a relationship for a year and a half. Paris, France. Sapphic Lovers. This project represents the diversity of lesbian and sapphic couples. These romances have neither model nor standard (they do not only concern young, white, cisgender, able-bodied people, etc.), they are plural and singular and unfold in all spaces, in cities as well as in campaigns. I photograph the intimate, in the private sphere, to create an archive and to keep track of these loves that exist in a society where heterosexuality is over-represented.

ANIA MROCZKOWSKA

After time away the photographer is seeing their father in a new perspective, beginning to see the physical fragility of age take hold, and realizing that a new era of their relationship will now unfold. Perhaps documentation helps both subject and photographer to see the relationship objectively, slowing moments down to help process the changes. Choosing to capture the subject with their eyes closed gives this portrait an edge, and lets the viewer ponder if this was an intentional act from an emotional aspect or a visual one. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – After over 14 years of living abroad I returned to my homeland Poland. This is an image from my ongoing project where I’m trying to establish an emotional map of connection between me and my father. During this studio session for the first time I looked at my father as I have never done before; a delicate and vulnerable man, bare and child like subjected to the glass of my lens.

TAL MAZIG

The subject emerges like a wild cat relaxing in their natural environment, at ease with their body and chosen habitat. The soft tone of the image immediately brings a sense of calm to the viewer, as the image feels like a commentary on our body’s relationship with nature, both taken for granted and respected at the same time. A photograph full of shape, structure and tangible elements. – LIFE FRAMER

EDMOND TERAKOPIAN

The photographer has chosen this cold, towering building (the Tate Modern in London, we believe) as an apt backdrop for this visual performance. The viewer’s eyes are drawn in many directions as lines and textures collide, the tones blend and the organic attempts to mesh with the non-organic. A fascinating photograph from a creative photographer and subject, knowing how to entertain and bemuse an audience. – LIFE FRAMER

JASNA VUKOS

The concept that identity is a construct is both enthralling and intimidating, entangled with many questions, notions and challenges. However, this photographer aims to simplify it through imagery by becoming a floating subject, as the viewer is encouraged to take a break from identity and its constraints – just like one would take a short break from everyday life at a hotel. A well thought out concept with an equally balanced image. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – My identity has been shaped by the experience of living as an immigrant in different cultures and countries. I have come to understand the identity as a continuous flow, a journey, and an escape from any definition, rather than something assigned to me by birth. Through this journey, hotels have represented places of transition where concerns of identity are erased. They are non-places in which we are briefly levitating.

These self-portraits were taken in hotel rooms I visited. Exploiting its non-place nature, I use hotel as a concept (flowing, temporarily anonymous place) to set the scene that inspires us to consider identity as a construct, and to set it free from semblances and restrictions (national, social, family). This is in contrast with the dominant image of the hotel as a symbol of the existential alienation of a contemporary man.

While deconstructing and exploring the different meanings of the terms non-place and identity in relation to contemporary mobility, I observe the feelings of alienation, disorientation, anticipation, and loneliness that accompany the act of uprooting due to leaving one’s home, as well as the sense of freedom that a newly gained nomadic identity can provide.

PETER VANDERMEERSCH

A classic street portrait of a figure with a face full of detail and story, from the missing eye to the safety pin on the strings of the hat. The colourless aspect gives the image a timeless quality adding to the mysteriousness of the subject and what life they have lived. A photograph that sparks plenty of intrigue and curiosity in the viewer. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Street Portrait, taken in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland.

WILHELM PHILIPP

A reverse portrait, where the back of the subject’s head has become the main identity over their face. The photographer documents this remarkable story of the human body’s resilience and ability to recover. The simple form of the photograph lets the curve of the scar lead the viewer’s eye around the subject’s head, possibly stirring up a sense of pain within the viewer as they study the extent of the injury and sympathize with the subject’s experience. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Dev’s Scar Post Surgery, from the series A Near Miss With The Abyss. On June 27th, 2021 Dev’s head hit the pavement at Hawksburn Station after bombing a hill on his skateboard around 11pm on his way home from a night out. Dev’s fall had resulted in him fracturing his skull, bleeding in the brain on the right hand side of his head and residual damage to the front of his brain as well as subdural bleeding. Despite all odds, Dev miraculously made a full recovery from his injuries.

HEZY HOLZMAN

The photographer captures both the magic and nothingness that occurs within this small shaft of light. The pops of blue pull the image together and balance out the contrasting shadows, giving an added visual element to the photograph. The innocence of the sleeping child grabs the viewer’s attention as the warm sunlight falls across their face, while the pointing finger leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. – LIFE FRAMER

DIDIER VANDERPERRE

At first a strange perspective presents itself to the viewer, as one blurred subject dominates the foreground, appearing giant-like next to the second person. However the reality and difficulty of their work quickly dominates the viewers attention. The surrounding levels of grey mud, emphasize the repetitiveness, grit and weariness of this task – a portrait of mental and physical strength. The body as a tool of labor. – LIFE FRAMER