Nudity, vulnerability and isolation are themes ever present in the work of 39-year old Spanish photographer Anna Bresoli. Indeed, in many ways nudity is ‘us’ as humans in our pure state. Ideas of vulnerability evidently come to the fore but maybe that’s only because of the social constructs we have built up.
That said in Berlin based Anna Bresoli’s work while ‘vulnerability’ as a result of said nudity is a theme she also uses nudity as a means of discussing redemption and communication. In our pure state Anna Bresoli suggests we can communicate on deeper more meaningful levels not only with our inner ‘self’ but also with nature.
We always ask about photographer’s pre-photography so briefly explain your formative years and how they may have impacted on your chosen field?
Since I was child I have loved creative expression, from drawing to writing and of course photography. My father gave me a camera when I was 13 and from that moment I knew that I wanted to express my art through this tool.
Were you destined for photography or was it less thought out as a path than that?
In a way I was destined. Photography for me is a tool of expression. But while photography is a passion I do have other passions. I love music. I play the bass and sing in one band, so it is not just photography.
Who were or are the photographers who inspired you?
Photographers like Cartier Bresson and Annie Leibovitz had a big impact on me. These photographers helped me to see the art and the world in a different way. Their photography and the way they approached the art had a deep impact on me and the photography I took and do take.
Can you remember an image you captured which made you satisfied?
I’m not sure about this. I never feel completely satisfied with my work. In the next project I always think I will reach a point of satisfaction. A place where my freedom as an artist is pure. I retain the hope that I will reach that moment.
Nudity, nature and vulnerability seem constant themes in your work.
Yes, vulnerability in the case of Sounds Of Our Suffocation and redemption in the last project Decompositions. I think a journalist called Jaume Barrull really summed up what I wanted to achieve in terms of nudity and nature in my last project. He said, “In the post-modernity of compulsive consumerism and virtual hyper connectivity, an outbreak of humility arises, an instinct of guilt regarding the world we have buried under our cities’ concrete. Decompositions is a search of the unconscious for the redemption of the individual with nature. People who seek forgiveness, who undress to reconnect with that tangible reality which they should never have broken.” These are the ideas I really wanted to explore regarding the power of nudity.
Isolation seems to be another topic you explore.
We are born alone, and we die alone. In a town or a city that sense of isolation is intensified. We are in many ways living in a paradoxical situation where we are among others but quite alone. Large bustling metropolises numb this communication that we have within ourselves.
In Decomposition the models are usually faceless and holding awkward positions.
The poses are part of the idea of redemption with nature. It is a punishment for having stopped listening to our deepest instincts. In terms of the faceless qualities. This was not actually done with any intention. It is only in hindsight that I realized that it was allowing for something more. I feel if they are faceless, then it allows people to place themselves in the place of the models. They feel they can identify with every image.
There’s a certain esoterism in all your work.
I want to connect with this ocean of consciousness through my creative soul. To separate the rational part and give more chance to the intuition without thinking. I feel wisdom resides in another place. In this place, you can touch the honesty of the expression you seek.