October Artists – Bettina Von Zwehl

Bettina Von Zwehl – Rain 2003

Taken from: http://www.bettinavonzwehl.com/main.html (Accessed October 2012)

Above are photos from the rain series they have a beautiful raw quality to them because of the rain the women who are being photographed cannot pose in the same way they would in an average image

“Bettina von Zwehl has built an international reputation for her subtile and unnerving photographic portraits. Her concise series of images are highly controlled both in terms of their minimalist aesthetic and the exacting conditions she imposes on her subjects. Von Zwehl photographs them as they wake from deep
sleep, hold their breath, recover from physical exertion, are drenched in rain or listen intently to music in a darkened room” http://www.steidlville.com/books/441-Bettina-von- Zwehl.html

Her work seems to me to be about taking the poses out of portraiture and finding originality in portraiture which a lot of portraiture doesn’t have. It is rare for portraiture to be original and yet Bettina Von Zwehl manages to capture the humanity of her subjects with originality.
The addition of rain to a standard portrait prevents the addition of other influences like styled hair and make up. The standard clothing also sticks to their bodies meaning they cannot hide in their clothes