“When I was young, I had fun making little movies with my sisters and my cousins, I’ve always loved telling stories and getting everyone involved. When I was 13 years old, I had the chance to do a year of photography courses in college. I quickly realized what fascinated me was the people. After my studies in advertising, I finally continued what I loved the most, photographing people and telling stories staging them. I have always worked in a very intuitive way. I try to accurately reproduce the images I have in my mind. The decor and accessories are very important for me, it helps to situate my character, reveal his personality and tell a part of his history. I love you Muffy speaks of grief and loneliness. By trying to overcome them, this young woman sink deeper in her solitude. But the battle is already lost—she only has eyes for Muffy, a stuffed cat that she is unable to replace or forget, taking it with her wherever she goes. I worked on frozen time, on an intrusion into the life of this girl, who doesn’t seem be present or alive, although everything around her is alive and in motion. She is not involved in the action, and is a little like a decoration, a statue. Life goes on around her, but her own life is frozen, devoid of meaning. Whereas the cats represent the present, the living, the instant (some are even blurry with movement), the young woman represents the past, an image fixed in time. The series Hotel Room tells the story of a hotel room, its tenants, its parties, its dramas, all shown through harmless, bizarre and grotesque situations and the empty gaze of one mysterious resident. Once again, the main character seems to be elsewhere, lost in thought, completely detached from what happens around her. The others continue to live their lives without interfering in hers, without paying attention to her, as if she wasn’t actually there… In my photographs, I work with daily scenes, disturbed through strain and boredom. With glossy appearance and material comfort, the characters evoke the loneliness and lack of communication inherent to today’s society. I employ a meticulous approach to detail by filling out their environment with accessories, allowing them to really exist.”
Lisa Carletta
Lisa Carletta is a passionate young Belgian photographer. She began her career in 2008 following her high school diploma in advertising. Through photographs, she presents a character whom she then places in a scene, bringing it to life. She creates a narrative, a family, a universe, a past, and a present for her subject. She favors a meticulous approach to detail, providing maximum accessories to the environment of her characters allowing them to really exist. She is often inspired by her childhood heroes. She submerges them in oniric and nostalgic worlds, and she transforms their image to show them in a different light. All is tinted with a bit of darkness, humor and bad taste. She won the Weekend Photo Award #1 (3rd place) in October 2008 for her series Lost Doll.
“I love you Muffy” can be seen in VICTOIRE MAGAZINE.
