Anna Skadman "Little Adults" Series
In this series Skadman explains that she wanted to capture the children of the Nouveau Riche in Russia. The photographs show the children comfortable in front of the camera, even going as far as posing in adult like manners. Though not all of the children appear to emulate an adult, it is still pretty shocking the manner they are shown, which ranges from doll-like to provocative, sometimes overlapping.
The subject is very interesting, and the photographs well taken. They show enough of the subjects and what is supposedly a regular environment for them to infer their lifestyle. The way they are shot can perhaps be seen as a staged elegance, which adds to the shocking nature, since they are children. Though sometimes they can be outright scary for its use of light which shines right into the children's faces and somewhat distorts their expressions, and thus turning their faces from innocent to malicious.
I believe that the author does achieve her goal in showing how out of touch this children are, and the way they are being "groomed" to be the next elite is unsettling. In her statement the artist talks about the tension there is, with that of childhood and trying to act like adults, but also very interestingly with Russia's communist past which highly contrasts with the opulence and extravagance these children are experiencing since an early age. This series is very well done, transmitting how comfortable the children seem to be in that sort of environment which is very much the contrary of what most people believe to be that of childhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment