Claude Cahun

By | March 23, 2017

 

I took this photo of one of the Claude Cahun self portraits shown at the NPG, London. (Before I got told off and asked to put my phone away!) Its not a good picture of the work but it shows the way in which the photographs were printed & exhibited-  I think exquisitely.

The photographs by CC were small, like miniatures- quietly powerful. They stay with you. There is another show of her work in the Sydney Cooper Gallery in Canterbury- I’m going next week. Can’t wait!

The performative element, the self-portraiture and the playful questioning of gender and identity through masquerade..I find her so contemporary. How did she manage that almost a century ago? Maybe some artists are timeless or just way ahead of they’re time. She was part of the Surrealist movement who have arguably transcended time with many of their ideas and works. And it seems now is Claude Cahun’s time to shine, posthumously.

More images of hers below that I found inspiring:

 

(Notes: make 3-D model in 360 degrees &  place in dome.

Collage butterfly tree of Nita faces in dome.

Remake, ‘After Claude Cahun’ in garden)

 

Reference ideas for Nita gloves photograph: lit as below:

Collage (50p) of gloved hands/black velvet/ filed nails.

(found photo, old 50p)

Reference ideas for interior/ Collage & studio: I like the spooky unnerving quality of the images below..they raise more questions than they answer.