Like many creatives, Marcia Elizabeth was introduced to her passion when she was a child. Having received a set from her grandparents which included a snapshot camera, she soon became attached to the ability to capture moments through this device. During our conversation she recalled how this camera, and the old family camera she received from her aunt later, opened up her mind to imagining a future as a National Geographic photographer treading through forests clicking away. As she got older her career goal to be a photographer remained the same, but her areas of interest shifted. During university she got into band photography, and later dabbled with fashion. Her new series, ‘Blonde’ encompasses all the elements of the direction she is going with at the moment – that she describes as environmental portraitist work.
Tying in with her recent focus on womxn and the female figure, ‘Blonde’ explores the narrative of trying to mould oneself to the desires of others, whether a lover or society as a whole, and how eventually the choice to embrace one’s true self is freeing. “Women have always been the painted but never the painters of our own stories, and I guess that is why it [portraying womxn] is so important to me, and it is important for me to document this specific time that I think we are in.”
With a lot of her past work being digital, Marcia began experimenting with film photography for the first time since childhood when photographing the Fine Art Masters show of Daniella Dagnin last year. Slowly building up confidence, ‘Blonde’ is a project built completely through the textured softness of film.
The completion of the series took a few months, which unintentionally added a layer to the work. Not only did the breaks between shoots result in her film photography improving, but it allowed her to take time to piece together a clear and concise story based on her initial concept. This also led to more experimentation. Looking at the images one can tell the difference in time between the photographs, and yet the series marries together well. This difference in time almost mimics the narrative of the series; that over time these young womxn will slowly free themselves by embracing themselves, therefore creating and projecting a different image to the world.
In conversation about the narrative for the series, Marcia explained that, “The whole reason why the young womxn who were photographed had dyed hair was because I was trying to speak about this fake illusion of women trying to live up to these beauty standards that are not real…. You know, this idea that we are not good enough as we are.” This is represented by the white ring binder stickers placed on the faces of the models; the stickers are abstract ways of pointing out the scrutinizing gaze that society has on womxn.
There are recurring elements that tie the series together, and are used symbolically. The majority of the images are taken in intimate spaces, such as the bedroom. Marcia explained that these are the rooms of the young womxn photographed, tying into her description of herself as an environmental portraitist. “I generally photograph people in their own spaces. Specifically for this series I wanted it to be very intimate, and I wanted people to show me who they were,” Marcia explained. Adding to the feeling of intimacy are this soft, lacey fabrics worn by the models. Marcia’s presence is included directly through the mirrors that some of the models interact with in her images. The series comes full circle in the last set of photographs where a young womxn is photographed in a garden. Being outside is representative of letting go and choosing to reject the box that she is “supposed” to fit into. One of the most important recurring elements is that of flowers. They are symbolic of feminine energy and feminine power.
This series is an illustration of Marcia’s work as an amalgamation of capturing moods, telling stories from her own perspective, and viewing photographs as surrealist duplications of real life.
Credits:
Photography & Styling: Marcia Elizabeth, Portrait of artist by Jemma Rose
Models: Jemma Rose, Gemma Hart, Maren Mia du Plessis, Eline Sweg, Marcia Elizabeth, Fabiana Katz