honorable mention
Narelle Delle Baite australiaPhoto © Narelle Delle Baite
title
Glorious
Globally, beauty trends differ according to culture, Iran is renown as the nose job capital of the world, Japan for its whitening of skin to represent power and wealth and USA for its viral popularity of the Kylie Jenner challenge. As a result of these trends, some lasting centuries and embedding themselves into cultures, it can be argued that beauty is dependent on culture and time. However, there is one concept of beauty that transcends these variables and that is the concept of divine beauty.
The specific aim of this image is to depict beauty as divine and offer an understanding of where feminine aesthetics are positioned in the 21st century. Today, beauty has risen to new superficial highs for women in western cultures with an obsession to immortalize their youthful appearances with miracle creams and cosmetic surgeries. Women and girls of all ages are bombarded by the media with unrealistic, photo-manipulated images of body and beauty.
back to gallery
entry description
This digital photograph challenges western perceptions of feminine beauty with a faceless portrait. A composited flower obscures the unique features of the face, creating anonymity at the same time as representing an interpretation of divine beauty. Flowers are incorporated into ritual and sacrament the world over, as symbols of eros, beauty, perfection, fertility, joy and resurrection. The flower is subtly flawed and encompasses wabi sabi, an eastern philosophy of beauty as imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. The subject wears a sheer blouse with an inelegant brassier, contradicting current ideals of feminine aesthetics.Globally, beauty trends differ according to culture, Iran is renown as the nose job capital of the world, Japan for its whitening of skin to represent power and wealth and USA for its viral popularity of the Kylie Jenner challenge. As a result of these trends, some lasting centuries and embedding themselves into cultures, it can be argued that beauty is dependent on culture and time. However, there is one concept of beauty that transcends these variables and that is the concept of divine beauty.
The specific aim of this image is to depict beauty as divine and offer an understanding of where feminine aesthetics are positioned in the 21st century. Today, beauty has risen to new superficial highs for women in western cultures with an obsession to immortalize their youthful appearances with miracle creams and cosmetic surgeries. Women and girls of all ages are bombarded by the media with unrealistic, photo-manipulated images of body and beauty.
about the photographer
Photographer and Artist based in Queensland Australia, with a passion to create unique images fusing art and photography. Majority of my inspiration is sourced from travelling and art. My style is continuously evolving as I strive to create images that inspire humanity, question assumptions and motivate integrity.back to gallery