Art That Mattersby Spannenburg.Art
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A black and white conceptual fine art portrait of CHRISTIAN for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, showing a man from behind among oak leaves.

More from the series

ESTRANGED (series) →
A black and white conceptual portrait of YANNICK for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, showing a man partially hidden by pine branches.A black and white conceptual fine art portrait of TOOTSI for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, featuring a person in drag among large leaves.High-contrast monochrome photography of a person with long hair partially hidden by textured locust tree leaves, exploring themes of faith and self-recognition in ARJAN SPANNENBURG'S ESTRANGED series.A black and white conceptual fine art portrait of DAMIAN for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, featuring a man among bare, leafless branches.A black and white conceptual fine art portrait of JOEL for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, showing a man surrounded by dense leaves.A black and white conceptual fine art portrait of SURAINA for the ESTRANGED series by ARJAN SPANNENBURG, featuring a woman looking through elderberry branches.
Arjan Spannenburg

ESTRANGED - CHRISTIAN

"He aha te mea i whakatupuria i roto i te wharekarakia ki te kowhiri i te aroha, ka mea ia "Kaore he ara ki te ara. Kaore he ara ki te ara." Na kei te ako te tangata kia aroha ki te aroha."

The Narrative

Navigating the shadows of paternal hostility

In this poignant chapter of the ESTRANGED series, ARJAN SPANNENBURG investigates the psychological impact of aggressive domestic heteronormativity. Through the portrait of CHRISTIAN, the artist visualises the heavy burden of growing up in an environment where one's emerging identity is pre-emptively labelled as "disgusting" or "abnormal." SPANNENBURG utilises the classic, sturdy oak leaves to symbolise the weight of tradition and the rigid structures of the family unit. The subject is captured from behind, looking away into the dense foliage—a visual metaphor for the years spent hiding from a father’s verbal violence and the internal questioning of one's own right to exist within society.

From the darkness of doubt to the light of acceptance

SPANNENBURG se motivacija za ovo djelo je dokumentirati kontrast između straha i sigurnosti unutar doma, danju i noću. Postavljanjem CHRISTIAN u stanje djelomične skrivenosti među granama hrasta, umjetnik odražava put subjekta koji potiskuje svoje osjećaje kako bi preživio retoriku oca, istovremeno tražeći svjetlo majčine tolerancije. Kako se CHRISTIAN osvrće na štetu uzrokovanu očevim riječima: Zbog onoga što je rekao, pitao sam se jesam li normalan. Jesam li ja stvarno tako prljav i nemam li stvarno mjesta u društvu? Ovo djelo služi kao institucionalni zapis emocionalnog rada potrebnog da se odvikne od mržnje prema sebi. Za kolekcionara, ovo djelo nudi duboku, tihu snagu, predstavljajući trenutak kada duša odluči prestati gledati unatrag u prošlost i počinje tražiti vlastiti put kroz šipražje.

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Visual Analysis

A vertical black and white photograph depicting a shirtless young man with dark, wavy hair, seen from the back and side. He is positioned behind and partially entwined with the branches of an oak tree, characterised by its distinct lobed leaves. His face is turned away from the camera, looking into the dark, dense foliage of the background. The lighting is focused, illuminating the smooth contours of his shoulder and back, while the oak leaves cast intricate shadows across his skin. He appears to be holding a branch, merging the human form with the natural textures of the wood and leaf.

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Year

2022

Genres

PortraitureMasculine VulnerabilityConceptualFine Art PhotographyMental HealthComing of AgeQueerConceptualLGBTQ+