antipose project [2022 - 2025]
This project explores the intersection of two seemingly unrelated ideas—Marc Augé’s concept of the Non-place and Einstein’s theory of space-time—through the lens of art. Building on these notions, it introduces a new concept: the antipose—the complete absence of mise-en-scène in a studio setting. The relationship between the pose and the antipose mirrors that between anthropological place and non-place, and between linear and relative time. If it is human instinct to pose before a camera or audience, how can one photograph the antipose, when the act of photographing itself implies posing? The aim is therefore to create, within the studio, something entirely devoid of intentional construction—to make something by not making it.
After extensive experimentation, a method was developed to capture the antipose in three phases. The first involved isolating photographer and model: a black curtain separated them, allowing only the camera lens to peek through. Both responded simultaneously to the same audio stimulus—music, ambient sounds, or audiobook excerpts—while multiple flash bursts were fired on a single sheet of 4x5 black-and-white film. The model stood before a black backdrop in complete darkness, instructed only to react freely to the chosen sound.
In the second phase, the audio cue was removed. Models were asked to sit on a stool in darkness for up to forty-five minutes, unaware of when flashes would occur. The absence of rhythm or expectation sought to dissolve performance entirely.
The third phase introduced a subtle discomfort: models were instructed to hold specific positions for several minutes. Markers within the frame signaled the physical impossibility of maintaining stillness, further emphasizing the fragility of the “pose.”
Throughout the process, the photographer controlled both the camera and the flash system, choosing whether each burst would register on film. The model never knew when or if the flash would capture them; conversely, the photographer could not see what unfolded behind the curtain. Both experienced uncertainty—each dependent on the other, yet blind to the moment of creation. The result was an experiment revealed only after the film’s development.
The final phase of the project were treated as mordançage prints. The prints were reproduced as large format negatives and printed on fiberbase paper.
Antipose was made into a photo-book with release and exhibition on Dec 2025.
After extensive experimentation, a method was developed to capture the antipose in three phases. The first involved isolating photographer and model: a black curtain separated them, allowing only the camera lens to peek through. Both responded simultaneously to the same audio stimulus—music, ambient sounds, or audiobook excerpts—while multiple flash bursts were fired on a single sheet of 4x5 black-and-white film. The model stood before a black backdrop in complete darkness, instructed only to react freely to the chosen sound.
In the second phase, the audio cue was removed. Models were asked to sit on a stool in darkness for up to forty-five minutes, unaware of when flashes would occur. The absence of rhythm or expectation sought to dissolve performance entirely.
The third phase introduced a subtle discomfort: models were instructed to hold specific positions for several minutes. Markers within the frame signaled the physical impossibility of maintaining stillness, further emphasizing the fragility of the “pose.”
Throughout the process, the photographer controlled both the camera and the flash system, choosing whether each burst would register on film. The model never knew when or if the flash would capture them; conversely, the photographer could not see what unfolded behind the curtain. Both experienced uncertainty—each dependent on the other, yet blind to the moment of creation. The result was an experiment revealed only after the film’s development.
The final phase of the project were treated as mordançage prints. The prints were reproduced as large format negatives and printed on fiberbase paper.
Antipose was made into a photo-book with release and exhibition on Dec 2025.
