Statement
Having recently begun experimenting at home with body photography, 'confined' has been composed using simple materials I often find in op shops – some black cotton fabric and some old studio lights – and a reasonably outdated 60’s press camera. With a focus mainly on black and white images, I can be rid of the distraction of colour and purely focus on light manipulation and composition. Often shooting close friends in vulnerable and tense poses, my ongoing series of masked portraits hopes to project my own internal landscape, and to create an anonymous subject for others to see themselves in. Underexposure and a use of negative space are important elements for me in creating a feeling of physical and mental isolation.
‘An Internal Strain’ is the feeling of making the impossible decision. Having such an intense emotion that your internal tension is brought onto your external form. We have all been in a position mentally where we feel we are being torn from the inside out. You can’t stop yourself from tensing up and the more you slip into that feeling, the more you begin to physically mimic that pain. Frustration, disappointment, sadness. The band keeps stretching and doesn’t break and in turn you curl into yourself more. Using a physically strong subject is important to me here. The implied stoicism of a strong figure contrasted with a more vulnerable pose accentuates that physical and mental tension.
Originally from Surrey, England, Harvey Brice is a self-taught film photographer currently based in Perth. Having recently begun experimenting at home with body photography, his current works have been composed using simple materials he often finds in op shops – some black cotton fabric and some old studio lights – and a reasonably outdated 60’s press camera. With a focus mainly on black and white images, he can be rid of the distraction of colour and purely focus on light manipulation and composition. Often shooting close friends in vulnerable and tense poses, his ongoing series of masked portraits hopes to project his own internal landscape, and to create an anonymous subject for others to see themselves in. Underexposure and a use of negative space are important elements for him in creating a feeling of physical and mental isolation.