Set against the backdrop of deserts, city skylines, skate parks and anonymous interiors, Gerwyn Davies’s vibrant photographs blend fashion photography with exquisite and sometimes bizarre handmade garments. His practice harkens back to some of his first photographic experiments, when he and a group of friends would collaborate on portraits, taking turns operating the camera, posing, and searching the house for lights to illuminate the scene.
“That’s Fashion “I was struck by the potential for creating illusions through photography, and from that point on I became really excited about what else I could do with it,” says Davis, who attributes his ongoing fascination with the readymade and highly structured approach to photo-making to these early playful experiments.
Davis describes his practice as “queer photographic self-expression.” He designed and crafted the costumes himself, transforming the human figure into sculptural form. Sometimes the clothing covered his entire body, but even if his legs or arms were visible, his head was always covered. When Davis takes a photo, he blindly shoots a series of automated shots while rapidly performing in front of the camera. He then selected the final image from these images.
Whether made from sequined fabrics, vinyl or faux fur, Davis’s garments appear quirky, humorous, and even absurd as he explores the fluid relationship between fantasy and reality. He also explores the concept of what portraiture is, or that the purpose of portraiture is to reveal the person who photographed it. In this case, “the subject, which is always me, is clearly visible in the painting,” says the artist, but the hidden nature adds an interesting and sometimes slightly unsettling layer of complexity. He continued:
The use of elaborate costumes (often made of sparkling materials) makes the subject almost highly visible. But at the same time, it is impossible to see the specifics of the subject. Faces are always obscured by fabric, and the precise dimensions of the figures are severely distorted, meaning that the subjects cannot be fully absorbed… The subjects are both present and absent, visible and invisible, they hide in plain sight.
Davis’s works are included in exposure: contemporaryy Photographers in Australia and New Zealandyou can find more information on his website and Instagram .
