The Empty Quarter returns to showcase yet another eclectic and thought-provoking collection from seven of the finest photography talents from around the world. With Identity, the exhibition presents different perspectives of the Human Identity through works of Leland Bobbé, Isabel Tallos, Jack Dabaghian, Tor Seidel, Al-Moutasim Al-Maskeri, Shiva Haji Ebrahim Araghi and Julia Fullerton-Batten.
Julia Fullerton-Batten
Perhaps very few photo-artists have explored the adolescent female psyche as diligently as London-based Julia Fullerton-Batten. Known for her evocative series, which delved into the transition of a teenage girl to womanhood, Julia returns with yet another unsettling theme. “Mothers & Daughters” sees her tackling the complexity of female, inter-personal relationships by illustrating, sometimes dramatically, the intensity in this special, but oft-times complicated pairing.
The new photographic narrative is a fitting follow-up to Fullerton-Batten’s previous collections, Teenage Stories (2005), School Play (2007), In-between (2008-09) and Awkward (2011), where she captured the emotional angst and intensity of her young models after placing them in complex environments
In her latest project, “Mother and Daughters” (2012) Julia has tackled the complexity of female, inter-personal relationships. “I chose to work with real mother and daughter pairs in their own environment, rather than with models or actors,” she says. “I only needed to orchestrate the sitters moderately to show the essence of their emotional bond. We created their own small world together, at the same time, through the staging of the scene, reviving for me memories of my own family’s relationships.”
Shiva Haji Ebrahim Araghi
Iranian photographer Shiva Araghi is one of the few talents whose creations both mesmerize as well as deliver a powerful message – all in a traditional setting. Her creations fuse elements found in street fashion photography with traditional conceptual Iranian culture, and produces a unique perspective into the world of Middle Eastern women.
Shiva’s subjects express themselves eloquently and movingly through their chic and stylish sense of fashion, and they choose to be bold and daring in their look. The women in Shiva’s photographs are not just models wearing fashionable apparel but are also communicating their own individual personalities in a unique manner. The underlying statement from her photographs is that women contribute immensely in the evolution of any culture while remaining mindful of their traditions and culture.
Jack Dabaghian
Perhaps very few photographers in the Middle East can boast of as diverse a portfolio as Dubai-based veteran French photographer Jack Dabaghian. After winning acclaim for covering the world of fashion, corporate, conflict, travel, commercial, automobile and sports for more than 28 years, Dabaghian showcases the political side of his talent through his latest exhibits.
For his new collection, Dabaghian travelled to Vietnam where he captured the expression of the ethnic tribes who are slowly losing their identity to globalisation and whose very survival is being threatened by the Vietnamese government’s uncontrolled tourism drive. Dabaghian unfolds a brilliant mix of story-telling and colourful visualisation, while showcasing tribal traditions, fashion and daily routines – all told with unfettered honesty.
Al-Moutasim Al-Maskeri
Acclaimed Omani photographer Al-Moutasim Al-Maskeri explores the age-old question of gender identity in his latest collection, conjuring a rich blend of black-and-white portrait photography mixed with enigma. While creating a fascinating visage of young individuals, the young photographer visualises a definitive scenario, where his subjects – mostly young Omani people – seem to be speaking directly to his lens.
In WO-Men, Al-Moutasim questions the evolution of male and female identities as a result of globalisation – all told in stunning detail and simplicity. His excellent play of light and shade shows that even black-and-white photography can engage an audience.
Leland Bobbé
For over 30 years, New Yorker Leland Bobbé has charmed both the fine art and commercial worlds with his poignant, award-winning photographs, which have won him rave reviews at galleries around the world. With a story behind every creation, his images delve underneath the visible surface of the world we see and provide a glimpse of a hidden dimension that lies beneath.
This time, Bobbé will present his most recent retrospective, titled “Half-Drag . . . A Different Kind of Beauty,” part of an ongoing series of evocative portraits of drag queens in half drag. While experimenting with light and shadow, the collection suffuses both the male and the female personalities of his models into one image, with the explicit intention of breaking down the physical barriers that separate the genders. Through his vivid imagery and make-up styles, Bobbé invites the viewer to a magical journey that encompasses drama, provocation, flurry and improvisation.
Tor Seidel
Acclaimed German photographer Tor Seidel presents a series of carefully composed photographs that examines human behaviour at multiple levels of interpretation. In his compositions, or photographic tableaux, Seidel explores the effect of different environments and conditions on human behaviour, highlighting emotions such as fear, desire, weakness and enlightenment with great dexterity. Seidel’s portraits show models creating a virtual mask of their identities while expressing their desire to gain something or waiting for someone. This inherent quality, and the dark imagery, sets the tone for most of the photographic settings in his creations.
Isabel Tallos
Taking the Empty Quarter’s new exhibition to an altogether new level is Spanish photographer Isabel Tallos, who redefines space and shape elements with reference to the human body. Her most recent series focuses on how the human body can adapt itself when forced into closed-space scenarios. Set into these strict guidelines, Tallos constrains her subjects into a single plane, capturing fragments of time imperceptible to the human eye within the limited frame.
The relationship between the characters and the spaces containing them is the essence of this artist’s creative expression. Tallos’ characters appear to be neutral and do not have any particular expression on their faces. The photographs, however, are open to the imagination, while the dream-like and poetic emphasis can surprise the viewer.
Identity
Group Exhibition : Leland Bobbé – Isabel Tallos – Jack Dabaghian – Tor Seidel – Al-Moutasim Al-Maskeri – Shiva Haji Ebrahim Araghi – Julia Fullerton-Batten
The Empty Quarter
Gate Village, Bldg 02
P.O.BOX 506697
DIFC, Dubai, UAE
[email protected]
Sunday to Thursday : 10 am to 10 pm – Saturday : 2 pm to 8 pm
