Aaron Wells

Objectifications

‘Beautiful Objectifications’ calls attention to the fact that creating an artwork about a person and maintaining their personhood is impossible. Taking a portrait picture, the photographer frames a person the same way they would frame any other inanimate, material subject. Features of the face become objects to be manipulated, set in certain lights and angles. 

In these photos, the subjects (or objects) are played with like dough, put under stark lights and uncomfortable angles. Some photos have an obvious sexual component, pointing to the fetishizing nature of portraits - the consequence of turning a person into art objects. The photographer himself is seen to touch the subjects directly and becomes a part of the picture, calling attention to the process of photography as objectification.

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Photography and words by Aaron Wells

Liberal Arts student in Maastricht, casual artist and photographer with low ambitions; wants to teach peace but not with the ruling class.