"Nightmare" Photograph

I use the camera as my medium to capture and express my intimate thoughts and feelings on the social and cultural differences with what a diverse and mixed society brings. In my work I like to engage with the viewer, creating tension, intimacy and psychological and physical responses. This body of work studies the ethical principles towards animals, the fragility of life and human intervention. The series of images concentrate on the freedom and wellbeing of the animal through to the slaughter and butchery of it, but I always try to convey the truth within my images, capturing the real, however shocking this may be to read. Similar to Rembrandt van Rijns "carcass of beef", the deer hangs skinned and gutted in a dark shed, the vast darkness of the background and the use of the camera flash reflecting of the carcass, brings this dead animal back to life. The paradox of its striking beauty, the form of the carcass hanging against the dark background and the texture of the muscle and fat entwined is both repulsive and beautiful at the same time, leaving you questioning your own introspection. Rembrandt van Rijins "carcass of beef" is believed to hold an enigma, but do these series of images? The deer's head enclosed in the blue bag, gives me the physical feeling of being suffocated, the bag acts has a screen, obscuring the true horror with which it conceals, the transparency of the bag lets you see the form and colour of the object of which it's concealing making you look closer within the image only to be confronted by an eye staring back at you, then the full reality of what you are looking at emerges, leaving you filled with horror and disgust. During my research for this body of work I've come across several wildlife documentary photographers and visual artists, all with their own way of seeing and contextualising their vision for audiences such as us to enjoy and gather meaning from. Helen Chadwick's "meat abstracts" is a body of work which questions greed and lust, which is both repulsive and beautiful, chunks of meat, glands and offal are juxtaposed with rich fabrics to create a paradox of beauty and horror. Similar visual reading to this body of work in its context, but the difference being that my body of work is not staged its real and true, they say the truth will set you free, but I disagree, the horror of documenting this will stay with me a long time.