Art Image of the Week - Kelli Connell

In keeping with last weeks theme of great emerging women photographers.. (a la The Great Zoe Strauss).  This week we move to the dark side of art photography, aka the digital masters !!(hmm.. just wondering.. can a women be a master? or should women be properly referred to as a digital mistress or maybe a digital dominatrix? anyone know?..)

So.. This weeks Image of the week is by the digital mistress and super gender bender.. Artist Kelli Connell.

This image is titled "Daydream" 2002, and is a 30" x 40" Digital Lambda print.

What makes it immediately striking is the fact that this is a double self portrait of the same person. Wow!

As you can see from this image, much of Kelli's work addresses issues of relationships, masculinity, beauty, attraction, sexuality and intimacy. I find her work very original and provocative.

Along with Brian Ulrich, Kelli Connell is also one of the three featured Artists in the new Aperture Book Midwest Photographers Publication Project, MP3. Additionally Kelli's work has been featured at the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis and is currently on view in a group show at MoCP in Chicago.

So what do you think of this image, and the work of Kelli Connell?

• A digital revolutionary or just digital gimmickry?
• All Flash with no Film?
• A Digital Dominatrix to be obeyed collected ?
• Fabulous or forgettable?
• Les-bionic or just another Lessor Loretta Lux?

All thoughts are always welcome.

FYI... For those interested..

Aperture Event : Next Thursday September 28th at 6:30pm there will be a Panel Discussion and Book signing at the Aperture Gallery on West 27th street.  MoCP Director Rob Slemmons will moderate a discussion with Brian Ulrich, Kelli Connell and Justin Newhall, it sounds like it should be an interesting night.. See you there!!

Comments

[Christine]

MAO.. Interesting photo.. Kelli Connell's work is great..

But do you always have to be such a TOTAL ASS about Loretta Lux?? Grow up already!

[kaiko]

Wasn't Anthony Goicolea doing stuff like this back in 1999?!

[Brian]

Just a clarification, MAO. This is not a double self-portrait. Connell uses a model for all these photos - - a friend or possibly girlfriend, if I remember correctly.

Nice seeing you out on the town. Gotta love the fall art season in NYC!