Shiny, tan skin, gem-encrusted necklines, bleach-white teeth, and studded stilettos are the surfaces that Jessica Craig-Martin is drawn to, and delves into in her photographic commentaries on superficiality. A press photographer for the likes of Vogue and Vanity Fair, her frequent outings at socialite-heavy events inspired her own personal photographic style, a spin on classic society pages characterized by voyeuristic vantage points, close-ups, and saturated colors, thus lending viewers an interior view in an exclusive world. Craig-Martin brings these unabashed portraits, reflections of her own sensibilities as a New Yorker, to Winston Wächter Fine Art’s Seattle outpost this week, in “Answered Prayers.”
Forays into high society events are also the subject of some of her “Social Studies,” visual diaries for W Magazine; Craig-Martin says of these works, “My camera wants to eradicate the personal. I see my works as abstract studies of sequins, evicted mollusks, and air-conditioned mink. Vanity, excess, vulnerability, arcane social ritual. Failed armor. Glamour is a mirage. As you approach, it evaporates.” Often crossing the boundaries of personal space, Craig-Martin is on the lookout for imperfections and irony, mercilessly capturing hidden wrinkles, fashion faux pas, and even subjects caught in off-guard moments while shoveling down some caviar. In photographs from an AmfAR benefit in Cannes, she homed in on ostentatious baubles and smudgy lipstick, questioning the sincerity of the charity event’s guests, while at another event, in a standoff between precariously high heels, we’re given a floor-level view of discomfort. Sharply critical and visually vibrant, her narratives effectively intrigue their viewers, and leave them wanting more.
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March 5, 2014
