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Love has no label (Professional Folio Presentation)

Love has no label is a series of performance-based photographs that aim to promote the understanding of many kinds of love. When people fall in love with people of the same sex, they can still feel that this situation imprisons them and they feel ashamed. Through this project, I seek to challenge this idea of shame and discrimination of same sex couples. 

The project illustrates a speculative fabulation that I developed to give shape to my themes. By chance, Trina came to the cave. She was attracted by the beautiful scenery outside the cave and wanted to go inside and explore it deeply. When she came into the cave, she saw people wrapped in veils with bowed heads in a sad dance. At first, she did not understand why they looked so sad. Gradually, she was attracted to the girl in the cave and fell in love with her. Slowly, Trina expressed her love to the girl bravely, and the girl was also in love with Trina. Breaking imprisoned traditional ideas, taking off the mask on the head, she chose to fall in love with Trina. Deeply influenced by the conservative traditional culture of the cave, the boys are originally in love, but didn’t have the courage to be together. After seeing the unfolding love stories between Trina and the girl, the two boys were encouraged by them, and found the courage to love each other. They followed the inner voice of their heart and chose to be with each other. All four of them danced freely in the cave with love in their hearts. Lastly, they walked out of the cave and into another place full of love.

Reference 

McGINLEY, H 2012, Jessica& Anne Marie, photographs, archival pigment print, <https://ryanmcginley.com/zosu2exjkqw7d3cyovsahh1m44irh5>. 

McGINLEY, H 1999, Red Kiss, photographs, archival pigment print, <https:// ryanmcginley.com/zosu2exjkqw7d3cyovsahh1m44irh5>. Goldin, N 1978, Skinheads having sex, photographs, archival pigment print, <http:// www.artnet.com/artists/nan-goldin/skinheads-having-sex-london-a- hMt5BrAZp6zGOmyrjF9xrw2>. 

Love Has No Labels 2015, YouTube, Ad Council, viewed 28 April 2021, <https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDgZuGIhHs>. 

Bao, HW 2020, Queer Chinese Art and Performance in a Time of Viral Contagion, Contemporary, viewed 18 June 2021, < https://cuntemporary.org/queer-chinese-art- and-performance/ >. 

Dukehart, C 2015, Intimate portraits of survivors in places where love is illegal, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, viewed 18 June 2021, <https:// www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/intimate-portraits-survivors- discrimination-lgbt>. 

Wang, XJ 2020, A Visual Record of Queer Experience in China, Aperture, viewed 18 June 2021, <https://aperture.org/featured/223-visual-record-queer-experience-in- china/>. 

CIFA 2021, ‘Queer is Our Purpose’: An Interview with CINEMQ, Chinese Independent Film Archive, viewed 18 June 2021, <https://www.chinaindiefilm.org/ queer-is-our-purpose-an-interview-with-cinemq/>. 

Wang et al. 2020, Mapping out a spectrum of the Chinese public’s discrimination toward the LGBT community: results from a national survey, BMC Public Health, viewed 18 June 2021, <https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/ 10.1186/s12889-020-08834-y.pdf>. 

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Love has no label (Professional Folio Presentation Process Journal)

It was also because of the previous exercises and the discussion and exploration of the understanding of love, so I want to explore deeply for love last semester. 

When I talked to David my ideas, he recommended three artists for me, Honey Long & Prue Stent, Ryan Mcginley, and Cherine fahd. In fact, the three artists helped me a lot for the project. I found that Honey Long & Prue Stent (Pic 1 and Pic 2) are good at using props, like silk, making their photos look more powerful. By looking their works, I inspired by them, I used fabric in the shooting, to make my photos look more impactive. I like Ryan Mcginley’s  (Pic 3) style very much. In his work, I saw many photos about the LGBT community, which gave me new inspiration. He took a lot of naked LGBT’s photos. When I saw his works, I felt sincere. In this project, I created a story, using models’ body and photography to express the topic, making efforts to increase social visibility of the LGBT community and reduce discrimination. Apart form that, When I saw Ryan Mcginley’s photos, one of works named Jonas & Marcel, it took in a cave, which is the inspiration of the place where I shot. I chose a cave looks very dark and unique (Pic 5), it could represent a traditional and repressive society to express my story. Cherine fahd (Pic 4) is very sensitive to color. Her personal style is obvious. In her works, She covered the plasticine of different colors on her model’s body, like the person’s skin, protecting the person from harm, which is helpful to the makeup of this shooting. In this project, there are a total of four models, the color elements on the model’s body (Pic 9) signify different groups of people, they hold each other back and influence each other. My makeup girl used eyeshadow compact and glitter (Pic 6 and Pic 7) to make up this time. I used veil in the shooting as I think the veil on the face is a metaphor for the imprisoned mind. So, I let a tailor do veils (Pic 8) to help me to show the theme of the project.

I use literature research method to process my project, to obtain data through investigation of literature according to certain research on topic of LGBT group in China. In this way, I can comprehensively and correctly understand the problem to be studied. By this way, I settle down my project topic Love Has No Label and aim to propagate that love is equal. I hope my work could encourage people to love bravely and release their anxiety. Minority groups also have the right to love just like ordinary people. Firstly, I understand the history and current situation of the LGBT group in China, what causes the discrimination and what kind of problems the minority group have faced every day. Secondly, it can form a general impression about the Chinese LGBT group, which is helpful for my observation before picturing my work. Those materials inspired me to tell a love story in my project, I must tell them by my photos. So, I finally decided to use the photography as a tool to speak up for the minority groups. First, I chose some models suitable for my shooting, such as some real LGBT’s Couples, people of different races and skin colors but in love with each other. They are all LGBT members, some of them I found in the LGBT’s club in Shanghai, some I knew them through dancing. When I told them the topic and the story of the project, they expressed their interest and wanted to join me.

Overall planning is very important if a project can be successfully shot and the effect is good. For example, in this shooting, my early conception of the theme of Love has no label, my prediction of possible problems in the shooting, my control of the models' performances, the demand and presentation of makeup effects by makeup artists, the selection of shooting locations and my control of using light and color. The overall planning ability makes me smoothly finished my work and express my theme.

I am better at photographing abstract love, because I have studied the subject of love more deeply, and realized the inclusiveness and diversity of love.

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Love has no label (Video) 

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Love has no label (test)          XUERUI GAO s3766150

Love has no Label is a series of performance-based photographs that aim to promote the understanding of many kinds of love and promote a sense of pride within the special groups in China by exploring the idea. When many people fall in love with people of the same sex, they can still feel that this situation is imprisons them and they feel ashamed. This project wants to challenge this idea of shame and discrimination of same sex couples through the series of photos. The four models are all LGBT. Each of models has their own color on their bodies. Yellow color represents gold in China, green color represents wood, blue color represents water, and red color represents fire, which shows that they are all unique, but also related to each other. I took the series of photos in a cave in Shanghai. This cave represents a very traditional and conservative society, where two boys are attracted by each other, but they don't have the courage to face their true feelings, because it is forbidden love in this cave. By chance, Trina came to the cave. She was attracted by the beautiful scenery outside the cave and wanted to go inside and explore it deeply. When she came into the cave, she saw the people wrapped in veils and bowed their heads in a sad dance. Coincidentally, Trina was attracted to the girl in the cave and fell in love with her. Slowly, Trina expressed her love to the girl, and the girl took off the veil she was wearing on her head. The removal of the veil on her head means that she gradually accepted Trina and fell in love with her. After seeing these stories between Trina and the girl, the two boys were also encouraged by them, and gradually broke the forbidden love and have the courage to love each other. They followed the inner voice of their own heart and chose to be with each other firmly.

Reference McGINLEY, H 2012, Jonas & Marcel, photographs, archival pigment print, <https:// ryanmcginley.com/6bu5reul2qz5u05jb893cdzr6ps0sl>. 

Klimt, G 1907, The Kiss, oil painting, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, viewed 20 May 2020, <https://www.gustav-klimt.com/The-Kiss.jsp>. 

Matisse, H 1901, Dance, Oil on canvas, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, <http:// www.matissepaintings.org/dance/>. 

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Love has no label

Four colors:

Yellow color represents gold in China, green color represents wood, blue color represents water, and red color represents fire, which shows that they are all unique, but also related to each other. 

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A Process Journal (Studio 4 assignment)

At the beginning, I want to do a project that about Qi. Because I saw the picture that I posted, which a falling umbrella next to a big tree, magically, I felt the vitality of the tree, it is so strong comparing to the small umbrella. This inspired me to think about the subject about connection among everything.  Later I took  photos according to Qi's definition. “Qi” is frequently translated as “natural energy”, “life force”, or ” energy flow”. I think if anything makes me feel its vitality or difference, it means that I can feel the its’ magnetic field. Just like the photos in Figure 2 and Figure 3, I feel its’ difference and unique, but I know If this subject is continued with this kind of thinking, it will be meaningless to the audience, because this is just my personal feelings. After thinking, I still want to do the subject about love, about the LGBT community, like the previous semesters, exploring the subject of love deeply. 

The new title of new subject named Love has no label. I want to express that everyone is free and they are equal to love. Love is just love. Ryan Mcginley, the photographer influences me a lot in the subject. Picture 4 is a piece of his work. Actually, I like his style very much. In his work, I saw many photos of the LGBT community, which gave me new inspiration. His work makes me feel that taking pictures with a naked body is very sincere and the photos look very beautiful. So I thought of using people’s torso, combined with a veil, to express this theme in a way of performance art, like the picture 5 and 6, which is more abstract and more challenge than before. I saw many photographer’s photos, which are related to LGBT and love , like Mengwen Cao, William Yang, etc. After having a clear direction, I found two women and two men in a very strange cave to shoot this theme. I thought about a story related to the theme for this shooting and I asked the makeup artist to use four colors to represent gold, wood, water, fire, and give the four models their own effects on their bodies. I successfully completed the shooting finally.

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Love is finding the missing soul, Masters Review C 50%

Love can be the remedy for a missing soul. Our personalities could be hugely influenced by family of origin issues, such as lacking of company of our parents during childhood. After growing up, we might still feel lonely when we are alone. In my project, I want to show the status for such kind of situation by trying different styles comparing previous pictures. The girl in the photo looks rebellious, free, intriguing and indolent, which is totally relaxed. But every coin has two sides, the inner emptiness and loneliness is unavoidable, we always try to look for the missing parts deep in our soul, maybe what we love is our repressed ego. Even though someone looks indifferent and inaccessible from outside, they still hope to be understood and find the other missing soul, so they are complete when they are together. At the end, the red light in the picture is the answer, the warm light means the love in heart, it can rescue them from all different struggles.

Reference

Marigold Warner 2019, Katrin Koenning’s poetic documentary, British Journal of Photography, viewed 25 October 2020, <https://www.bjp-on- line.com/2019/04/katrin-koenning-poetic-documentary/>.

Sharon Madden Harkness 2020, Gracewood, photographic museum of humanity, viewed 25 October 2020, <https://phmuseum.com/scarletlake/ story/gracewood-d174fb0d84>.

Rinko Kawauchi, viewed 25 October 2020, <http://www.who.int/ immunization/policy/immunization_tables/en/>.

Katrin Koenning 2010, Dear Chris, photographic museum of humanity, viewed 25 October 2020, <https://phmuseum.com/katrinkoenning/story/ dear-chris-dfaae1b8cf>.

My boyfriend is an alien, Daria Nazarova, viewed 25 October 2020, <https:// nazarovadaria.com/My-boyfriend-is-an-alien>.

Call me by your name, 2017, film, directed by Luca Guadagnino.

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Process Journal, Master of review C 50%

Love is finding the missing soul  

In the ten supervisions, I first told David that I want to take very abstract and blurry photos, just like the style of the first two photos as the title of this project is love is finding the missing soul. In the last review, I want to explore deeper and more abstract love. My supervisor suggested that I could try to take more variety and different types of images, not all the same. In addition, I also need to create a series of images to tell the story of emotion and love. In other words, I could use some objects for metaphor for stages of love. For example, empty landscape could represent emptiness. I thought of empty clothes, which can represent the lack of family company. This is how the third photo was created. In the last review, he taught me how to express the abstract love using images. Apart from that I just take some images with people to express my feelings, I learnt I could take some images only with face, some images only with bodies, just some details or nature to express my feeling. So, I took very detailed photos like the fifth to express my emotions. Besides, I used double exposure for many photos like the sixth photo in this project to express the core concept. When I finished shooting, my supervisor and I selected the most satisfying dozen photos from many photos and gave me a lot of typographic suggestions, which enabled me to successfully complete the last assignment of the semester.

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Love is your reflection, Masters Review B 20%

Love is hard to define, everyone has their own comprehension. In the last review, I took the project of don’t cry anymore. Love makes you stop crying. It is a process of reconciliation with yourself. In the review B, I want to show love is seeing my own reflection in someone else, when we saw those similar qualities, we will be attracted. My inner world lives a strange and weird person, which is completely different with the one that I shows to the realistic world. But someone can always show the real inner self to the world without any pressure, that is the most important reason why I will be attracted. Love has it all, with hot and cold emotion, light and shadow, angel and evil. Those extreme feelings and character can exist at the same time when you fall in love with someone, which is what I think the most pure comprehension to love. Most of people are always in the way of looking for the right one coming to their life, though they starve for companionship, they are not afraid of loneliness, as they already get used to it, they found themselves in the processing of getting along with the loneliness.

Reference:

Calvin Tomkins 2020, The Colorful Worlds of Pipilotti Rist, THE NEW YORKER, viewed 26 Sep 2020, <https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/14/pipilotti-rists-hedonistic-expansion-of-video-art>.

PHROOM n.d, Katrin Koenning, viewed 26 Sep 2020, <https://phroommagazine.com/katrin-koenning/>.

Ivan's Childhood 1962, film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

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Process Journal, Master of review B 20%

Love is your reflection

I told David the feedback about review A, in fact, the project of don’t cry anymore is emotional photography and it is also the photography that is related to the theme of love. Love makes stop crying and it is a process of reconciliation with yourself. I told David in the review B, I still want to take the theme of love. David recommended me that I could try to depicting love by using sculptures and painting. He asked me to do some researches about canova, rodin, and klimt. I also mentioned that I am also interested in the theme of nightmare and asked some suggestions for him. He gave me some directions, sigmund freud and dreams, surrealism - dream imagery. David let me see Katrin Koennig’s works. Suddenly, I got some inspirations from a song, and there is a lyrics like this “love is seeing your own reflection in someone else”. This lyrics is very similar to my understanding for love, so I decided to take the project of love is your reflection. David said that I can focus on and describe some qualities and shadows of myself by using photos, for example pure or brave. I thought for a moment, lonely, weird, incompatible with the world, extremes of enthusiasm and indifference, these are the shadows of me, I will be attracted by the people. So I decided to use photos to express the features and shadows of me. In the post-production, I didn’t know that it is  better to adjust all the photos to black and white or to keep the original colors of the photos? David told me he prefers to keep the original color of the photo, and it will feel better. In the end, I kept the original colors of the photos and did some simple effect, finishing this work.

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Don’t cry anymore, Masters Review A 20%

Growing is a process of compromise with one's inner self, which is from being fragile to being tough. In my project, "Don't cry anymore" is just a status that I want to express when we can peacefully coexist with negative emotions like stress, anxiety, sadness, depression. When there are some things suddenly changed people's life,  they always want things to be back to normal and hope it is still in their control, if it's not, usually they become easily nervous and even corrupted. At this time, a touching little thing will naturally bring a self-conversation and make them feel reassured. Not all things will work out eventually, even though we put all efforts and tried different ways. We can only accept them calmly, especially the negative feelings. The eagerly we want to change it, the worse it may turn to be. "Don't cry anymore" is a comforting subject in my work. Feeling the inner peace will bring the ultimately gain and grow.

Reference:

MAGNUM PHOTOS n.d, Alec Soth, viewed 9 Aug 2020, <https:// www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/alec-soth/>. 

Remez Sasson n.d, What Is Inner Peace?, viewed 9 Aug 2020, <https://www.successconsciousness.com/blog/inner-peace/what- is-inner-peace/>. 

Jackie Lamas n.d, Emotional Photography | 8 Ways to Capture Feeling in Photography, EXPERTPHOTOGRAPHY, viewed 9 Aug 2020, <https://expertphotography.com/emotional- photography/>. 

Walden,E 2010, ‘Reflexive mimesis in contemporary visual culture’, Emotion, Space and Society, vol.35-41.mporary visual culture’, Emotion, Space and Society, vol.35-41.

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Process Journal, Masters Review A 20%

Don’t cry anymore:

In the first time, I did supervision with David, I told him my recently status and thinkings, I wanted to take emotional photography this semester and to express the status that we can peacefully coexist with negative emotions like stress, anxiety, sadness, depression. The styles of the two photos I like them in particular. David recommended me to watch a movie called Ivan's childhood by Andrei Tarkovsky. He also suggested that I could combine nature and portraits to do the effect of double exposure, and told me It’s best to shoot multiple people to express this emotion, otherwise it may look too repeat.

In the second time, I showed my photos to David. I took four people, including myself. I was very satisfied with the set of photos of the girl who I took her using flowers. I told David, I wanted to show four photos for the group of photos. David told me if I chose four photos of flower series, which is too repeat. He helped me to choose the photos that he think the expressiveness of emotions are stronger and ask my opinions. I agreed with him. Some photos just look beautiful but has no sense of story. Finally, I chose some different photos to express the project and status.

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Imaginary love III, Masters Review C 50%

People are always wearing invisible masks in real life, sometimes even if they stand in front of each other, their distance of heart is very far. When you meet the one in your life, you will be willing to face each other without that mask and explore their inner world. When they take off their masks, embracing and listening to each other. They finally become one whole part, facing the strange world together. Even through setbacks, like a drowning fish, one of them sometimes want to escape, give up, and back to her original lonely world, the other can still hold on to and save her. Finally, they can show their most real emotions without any burden, even though they are negative with those sad tears, they will find the direction and become determined because of each other's presence and company.

Reference list:

Viviane, S, Viviane Sassen · works, viewed at 12 June 2020, <https:// www.vivianesassen.com/works/>. Emily, M 2019, ‘For artists Honey Long and Prue Stent, photographing nude female bodies is not a political statement’, freundevonfreunden, viewed at 12 June 2020, <https://www.freundevonfreunden.com/interviews/melbourne-art-prue-stent-honey- long/>. ‘Sam Taylor Wood’s “ Crying Men” Cuts Right to the Core of Masculinity’, thephoblographer, viewed at 12 June 2020, <https://www.thephoblographer.com/ 2013/08/27/sam-taylor-woods-crying-men-cuts-right-to-the-core-of-masculinity/>. Gillian, W 2012, ‘Gillian Wearing takeover: behind the mask – the Self Portraits’, AEDT, viewed at 12 June 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/ 2012/mar/27/gillian-wearing-takeover-mask>. Aimee, M 2019, ‘I’m Only Here To Leave’, creativereview, viewed at 12 June 2020, <https://www.creativereview.co.uk/im-only-here-to-leave-by-tommy-kha/>.

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Process journal, Masters Review C 50%

In the supervisions, I told David the feedbacks of my works during the review II. I used two photos as a comparison to make the audience understand the reality and imagination. Teachers told me audiences are very smart and the method is a bit redundant. So in the last review, I didn’t use two photos to make a comparison. In addition, they think I lack of having a string and authentic connection to my work, which is important to my project. After thinking, I told David my authentic connection in the last project is about mask. People are always wearing invisible masks in real life, sometimes even if they stand in front of each other, their distance of heart is very far. But the two girls are willing to face each other without that mask and explore their inner world. This is my string. David let me think  what does I believe in strongly in the love and research relevant artists and related texts to study it. He recommended some artists for me, like Nan goldin and Pipilotti Rist. They are good at taking photos of intimacy and relationships. I should find and study more articles about the two artists. By document everyday life, I knew many artists and I had new ideas about my project. I wanted to use some abstract actions and states to express the two girls are whole and they are real when they face each other. Sometimes they want to escape, give up, and back to her original lonely world, the other can still hold on to and save her. David think Vivian Sasson’s works are very abstract. If I like Vivian Sasson‘s style, I could try to draw on photos like her. Besides, David also suggested me I need to watch more performing art to guide the models, so their feeling to the expression will be stronger and in the picture. Using props, makeup, and clothing to highlight the subject. Most importantly, I need to choose a location where it is suitable to finish my project. The relationship between figures and the landscape has the potential to create a dynamic effect that explores the strong feelings of love between the subjects in my photographs. David told me I could go to Red Bluff Lookout to take photos as the place is very beautiful and there are many rocks that look weird. After I finished shooting, I selected some pictures, showing to David and asking his suggestion. David told me which photos are better in his eyes, and suggested me I could name a title for every group of photo, which would help my audiences understand me better since my photos are a little bit  abstract. 

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CFB1 – round 2: Critically annotate an online dossier of artists 30%

VIVIANE SASSEN is a Dutch artist living in Amsterdam. I like her photography style in particular. Her style of photography is quite unique, weird and aesthetic. Sassen’s art skill is excellent. She prefer drawing on her prints and re-photographing these pictures. You could see in these photos I posted, some of photos were drawn and added pigment by her, enhancing the perceptions of shape.

I don't like drawing on the pictures actually because I think it might destroy the beauty of photos. But when I saw Sassen’s works, I don’t think so. The lines adding pigment on the photos make the photos look more mysterious and her drawing always can catch my eyes. The combination of her drawing and the picture is very harmonious, as if it is a whole and it will not make me feel abrupt. The photographer also makes full of the model’s mood as well as gesture. The series of photos are really creative and they are an exploration of the aesthetic potential.

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CFB1 – round 2: Critically annotate an online dossier of artists 30%

Duane Michals, in full Duane Stephen Michals, American photographer noted for his sequential images. In his world of photography, I feel that there are no limited rules and restrictions. He writes something in his prints, creating sequences of images that explore human’s desire and doubts. In addition,the photographer brakes the traditional style of photography, taking some illusory photos by using double exposure and motion blur.

In fact, Art shouldn’t be limited to any forms since it is just a tool to tell their stories even though sometimes your audiences cannot understand your thinkings, they can feel you if they like your works. Duane Michals really did this. His retro and unreal photography style remind me of Francesca Woodman. The first four photos I posted, which give me feelings of purity and holiness. A story come to my mind: an angel turned into a butterfly, flying in through the window. The angel looked at himself in front of the mirror and he found that he became a person, and then the angel left the world that doesn’t belong to him. His photos are very story-telling.

The series of images he took gave me a new way to record my images. For me, the method may make me tell my stories more clearly using photos, reducing the dependence of the text.

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CFB1 – round 2: Critically annotate an online dossier of artists 30%

Honey Long (Sydney, Australia, 1993) and Prue Stent (Sydney, Australia, 1993) are multidisciplinary creative partners whose work related to photography, performance, and many fileds. They prefer using the soft lines of women’s bodies to take some adventurous, creative and beautiful photos. In their works, the model’s gesture as well as performance have their strong style. It doesn't look like the models perform casually. 

What’s more, the two artists are sensitive to color, especially the similar colors. In their works, I found that they often take advantage of similar colors to take photos that has their own style. In these photos I posted, we could see each photo has a main color, like the first photo I posted, the main color is pink, the second picture is blue, the third picture is yellow. The two artists will use some similar color props and background, and they let models do some actions and performances, making the photos look more expressive and willing to challenge tradition. But Many artists doesn’t like to deliberately design like them,like ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN. She once said, “With my photos I try to show the personality of the models more than what they can transform into. I try and let go of any idea I have of how the moment should look like when I’m shooting, That’s when the picture seems to come alive.” They are completely different artists and the style of work is completely different.

Lastly, the props selected by these two artists are really suitable for their shooting. I found that silk appears in their works many times. I have to speak, silk is really suitable for taking photos with female body since it looks very soft and thin. I know that choosing suitable props to express your feelings is important by their works.