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Marinka Grondel

To see things differently.

Photography is the best way I can express myself. What interests me the most is the combination of art and (fashion) photography, The way I describe my work is that it can take you into a place in which people and everyday objects can sometimes take on a peculiar form. I am always thinking about how I can show another side of something that is already there. I love to create concepts, thinking of poses, locations, materials, combinations and ways of showing clothing. This is something that I do to create possibilities for the viewer's preconceptions about seeing life. Photographic surrealism.

I make sure I create and visualize as many concepts by using photography and styling during the assignments and after school to amplify my portfolio. I love to create a concept and be a part of the process. I live by the quote of John Lennon. “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.” Creating images that continuously try to withdraw you from our world. Playing with distortion and illusion. Let people look twice at something because it is different than they are used to. I am mostly inspired by the shapes that the human body can take and how to combine this with location, clothing and materials. Using old and new technologies. I mainly use digital photography but also analog photography is something that I find really interesting. My portfolio website shows a combination of both. This is how I present my work:

I photographed the images digital and than put on old paper and scanned it back in. This shows an analog view on something digital.

I don’t like to see borders. My photography is al about overstepping those borders that people make and creating a world where everything is possible. Where reality changes. Because what is reality in a world where technology is slowly taking over? People can easily make photos with their phone and share it right away. It makes it hard to stand out as a photographer. I went to look for authenticity in technology and materials. I have started this minor digital craft because I want to make my photography more special. Create objects or so-called ‘props’ that can be used in my photography. Objects that show something that comes close to reality but actually tells something else. Making strange combinations in materials and ways of manipulating this process. This could bring new inspiration to what the authenticity of the material is and how you can play with that idea. Like I did with my second design for Fantastic Forgeries in witch I relocated body parts because when 3Dprinting of body parts is already possible why wouldn’t we in the future want to have a 3D printed nose on our shoulder? Or a extra pair of eyes on our back? Making a combination between photography and art. Playing with what is and what isn’t. Like in the copy for fantastic forgeries I made a dress inspired by the dress of Lie van der Werff. It gave me a skin like feeling so I recreated skin with latex. I used the body parts that the dress touches if a model would wear it. These body parts I recreated with latex. The dress would look the same as on the image of Lie van der Werff from afar but when you come nearby the dress would show you the shapes of the body the bone structure, goose bumps and veins. I want to use technology to amplify my photography and take me even further than those borders.

One of my big inspirations is the art movement surrealism. Waiting for dreams to take over in live is something they lived by. I do not think that Sigmund Freuds theories about ‘es’ takes over when I am photographing but I love the idea that reality is something that we can play with. Surrealist movement made this possible.

One of the photographers that really inspire me is Francesca Woodman. Surrealist details are evident throughout her photographs, Woodman continually pushed the boundaries of self-expression, using her body over and over again to question and blur contemporary ideas of sexuality and art. The most wonderful thing of her photographs is that al images are well thought through and composed to be a strong story telling photo.

Viviane Sassen is a photographer from now and days. The models that she choses are mostly people from Africa, the beautiful dark skin in combination with the light of the sun, shadows. I think it is amazing! She also focuses on fashion photography. She uses mirrors, scissors, paint and Photoshop to mess with the viewer's preconceptions about what a fashion photograph is. I would recognize her work out of thousands!

This is some of my inspiration. The list go’s on and on. I really enjoy art and photography that shows a different perspective on human and life. I love to be surprised when I see art or photography. Looking at it and thinking huh, what, Wauw! This is something I hope to create in my photography to. I think that I find the beauty in photography when it becomes an artform. This is what inspires me in other artists and this is what I long for myself in my works.