Vividly coloured wardrobe hugs the bodies of models, embracing static, powerful poses. And it is as if the viewer is looking at non-human entities, statues or mannequins perhaps – artworks in their own right. But the 23-year old image maker from New York pushes her already existent art pieces into another medium by photographing her human “colour statues”/ “creatures”.
Moving to South Carolina for high school, Arielle was soon overcome with a depression that lasted for five years. Her release came by chance in the form of a placement in a digital imagery class the high school offered where she was introduced to the various aspects of photography. It is here where Arielle found a form of cathartic release that helped her in her battle against depression.
“…when it comes to photography I’m always looking for photos that make me ask why? Or how?” Arielle prefers to see the subject of her image as a shape. She then takes this shape and forms it to become a part of a larger composition, straying away from the face as a focal point in her work. She expresses in an interview with Its Nice That, that colour is central to her practice as her life was characterized by its absence for a long time. Experimenting with colour is her expression and acceptance of the playfulness she currently experiences in life.
From the conceptualization of a project to its execution and completion, Arielle is open to let her imagination and chance take the steering wheel. Often starting her process by seeking inspiration, she hunts in thrift stores and drives around to find fabrics and landscapes that captivate her mood at that time. The poses her models inhabit generally take place in an improvisational manner and she expresses that the outcome of her work is not always what she expected, but that she embraces it fully.
Photography is a powerful tool that can be used as a therapeutic medium. Arielle’s work which combines brilliant colours and intriguing poses convey a sense of euphoria. The power and psychological impact of colour is displayed in her work. Art for therapy is a beautiful personal experience that can help others realize their own abilities to use artistic mediums for self-love.
