© Cara Phillips "UV Beauty #147" from the series "Ultraviolet Beauties"
Robert Morat Galerie für Photographie Kleine Reichenstr. 1 20457 Hamburg Allemagne
The exhibition ON BEAUTY consists of two photographic series by the American artist Cara Phillips. Her work focuses on the question of beauty, an idealized concept of beauty and narcissism. In the series of portraits titled »Ultraviolet Beauties«, Cara Phillips makes use of the same ultraviolet technology as dermatologists and beauty surgeons do to reveal the second skin lying below the epidermis. These images reveal very sun spot, freckle and pigmented disorders which are normally invisible, thus capturing all imperfections when compared to standard beauty ideals. The second series „Singular Beauty“ is a typological analysis of interiors. Showing medical instruments and treatment rooms in plastic surgery clinics or medical practices, her work documents the frightening medical expenditures necessary to correct the subjectively perceived insufficiency of our beauty awareness.
CARA PHILLIPS was born and raised in Detroit. She studied photography at the Sarah Lawrence College and is the co-founder and editor of the renowned and influential online exhibition site „Women in Photography“ (wipnyc.org). She has received numerous awards for her photographic work, the book to the series „Singular Beauty“ (Fw: Publishing, Amsterdam) was nominated for the PARIS PHOTO ART Book Award 2012. Cara lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
© Cara Phillips "UV Beauty #80" from the series "Ultraviolet Beauties"
© Cara Phillips "Blue Liposuction Machine" from the series "Singular Beauty"
Translated literally, AMA means "women of the sea". Respectfully and admiringly called "Ama san" the real accomplishments of these independent and brave women aren't well known, even in the cities of Japan. Having an average age of 60 years, their diving for Abalone – a sea snail that is considered a delicacy in East Asia – guarantees these women the opportunity to make a living. Diving depths up to 20 metres they look like aged mermaids who should instead have sampled the pleasures of retirement long ago. Generally the century -old tradition of hunting is connected with masculinity. But based on the experience that men freeze more easily in water the hunt for Abalone transformed into a traditional domain of women in Japan. The Cologne based photographer Nina Poppe takes the viewer of her work "ama" to a place where women lead a special life and men don’t seem to exist.
© Nina Poppe "untitled" from the series "AMA"
NINA POPPE was born in 1979 in Münster. She studied photography at the Utrecht School of the Arts and documentary film at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne under Professor Boris Becker. The series „ama“ was last exhibited at the photography museum FOAM in Amsterdam and also has been presented by the gallery at the UNSEEN Photo Fair Amsterdam. The book to the series was published by Kehrer, Heidelberg.
© Nina Poppe "untitled" from the series "AMA"