Patricia Van de Camp is interested in nature and the lost harmony between human beings and animals. Her images playfully communicate themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and death. In her recent project, My Own Wilderness, Van de Camp makes reference to an old hunting technique, blinding animals with a spotlight. As in the “deer in the headlights” idiom, the animals are standing as statues in the strong light, making them more easily captured by hunters.

From the artist’s statement: In the images… the animals are greeted and admired instead of being harmed. The central theme of “My Own Wilderness” is the loss of intimacy between human beings and animals. The images do have an alienating effect because the deer and the rabbits are not alive anymore; they are stuffed. They are honored by bringing them back into their natural environment and being photographed as if they were still alive.

Visit artist's site: patriciavandecamp.nl

Posted November 21st, 2014