Fashion at the Graveyard 1997

Arsen Savadov's photograph, titled "Fashion at the Graveyard", captures a moment in which the artist plays with our emotional responses through contrasting images. You know, a photographic process, especially one like this, is all about capturing light and shadow, and here, the way the light catches the model's sheer top is amazing, the way it plays across the fabric, creating a ghostly effect. This is juxtaposed with the heavy darkness of her trousers, creating a sense of tension that pulls you in. The textures are so important, from the earth to the flowers growing. It reminds me a little of a Mapplethorpe, with that same kind of cool detachment, yet a kind of vulnerability. Savadov creates a moment of beauty. He asks us not to look away, but to consider what makes us human. What he is creating here is open to interpretation. It is there for us to engage with.