in ethereal and hanging discontinuity
In ethereal and hanging discontinuity — is a project created by a team of four women about witches and witchcraft. The symbolism works to unfold the parallel between the gaze on a woman throughout the ages and her identity.
The complexity is in the redefinition of womanhood by women, breaking the accepted norms and the erroneous gaze imposed by patriarchal figures. “Fully shot on a Pentax 6x7 and Canon AT-1, it is through its narrative and aesthetic that this series blends fashion with contemporary art,” Maite de Orbe, the photographer, presents the project. Through Christian symbols and rethinking the classification of a woman to a witch, the team explores strength, maturity, and independence.
In this conversation with the team, we discuss the elements and symbols connected to witchcraft. We speak about a collaborative effort to design the story and create the environment on set. The team invites us to explore the unified presentation of the character in a two-fold narrative which involves the story presented in the shoot and a meta-story emerging from zoom outs to show the set, objects, and interaction of the model with the object bringing us back to reality. While Alba brings Christian elements and styling combined with clothes she sells in her online store, Marta creates the atmosphere and the set to elevate the feeling of the story presented through the prism of our understanding of witches today. Maite explains how the research of the self influences the collaborative processes building a new visual language, and Bea lets us into the backstage describing the improvisation and creativity happening on set.
Photography Maite de Orbe Style Alba Ibáñez Set design and Art Direction Marta Ochoa and Alba Ibáñez MUA Marta Ochoa Talent Beatriz Luque
‘I have been interested in youth feeling stuck, and I have previously explored the themes of boredom and liminality.’
— Maite de Orbe
Hi guys, glad to feature your new project in WÜL. You describe the story as “a dreamy series on witchcraft, limbo, and destiny.” Could you elaborate on the elements that were of utmost importance to be part of the shooting?
Alba: One of the most important elements for me are the crucifixes. I have always had a fixation with the Christian Catholic religion. I suppose it is because I grew up in a Christian family and studied in a nuns' school. The Catholic religion is patriarchal, and for me, it will always symbolize oppression.
Maite: For a long time, I have been interested in youth feeling stuck, and I have previously explored the themes of boredom and liminality. I think that both of these emotional situations are key to a later understanding of oneself, and in that sense, they can seem magical. I was interested in the way Alba’s practice, as a fashion archivist and stylist, was intertwined with these topics from a new perspective than the one I have worked on. This collaboration was, for me, an exploration of different visual languages coming together.
‘The witch was what a woman was called when she violated social roles imposed by ecclesiastical authority. That is when a woman was neither a mother, nor a wife, nor a nun, or a prostitute.’
— Alba Ibáñez
Did you perform preliminary research on the topic of witchcraft to create the set and the story you present?
Marta: I think that witchcraft is always present in my work because it kind of comes directly from my childhood. I have been fascinated by the witch aesthetic since I was a kid.
Alba: Not really, the shoot is not about witchcraft, but about 'witches.' I wanted to talk about the stigmatization of women throughout history. The witch was what a woman was called when she violated social roles imposed by ecclesiastical authority. That is when a woman was neither a mother, nor a wife, nor a nun, or a prostitute.
Maite: My research on witches comes from previous works in which I investigated subjects such as the contraceptive pill. I was surprised about how much of the information regarding menstruation and contraception came from menstruating people talking with each other, passing on information horizontally. This system of communication resonates with witches as they are strong symbols of resistance and community. They were, at their time, the first doctors to facilitate abortions in the Middle Ages and then haunted for their wisdom. There was a powerful interwoven network of knowledge, support, and care in a way they had communicated information with each other.
‘All the clothes that appear in the shoot are from the small collection of vintage and designer clothes that I sell in my virtual shop.’
— Alba Ibáñez
It is prominent that the dialogue is created between the work of each team member to connect the visual aspect to one narrative. What was the influence set design had on styling decisions and vice versa (in the chosen color palette, elements on set, etc.)?
Marta: This shooting, in particular, was very special because our roles diffused and merged throughout the day. I ended up helping with makeup, and Maite and Alba were very involved on the final set. That made things super easy and fun because of the connection we had, and it helped to develop every detail in a very organic way.
Alba:All the clothes that appear in the shoot are from the small collection of vintage and designer clothes that I sell in my virtual shop, so at first, I chose the looks that I thought would fit well together (by color palette, style, and fabrics) and from there we developed between the three of us, set designer, photographer, and stylist the scenography and the set in such a way that they agreed with each other.
‘It is a matter of how you look at your environment and how you are able to understand and see random objects as tools for creating something new.’
— Marta Ocho
In ethereal and hanging discontinuity — offers a look at the mystic angle shown through a prism of contemporary art, when the viewer is invited to the creation process, showing them the slightly zoomed-out perspective (ex: elements that are hanging with the help of props on set). What were the steps you took to create an atmosphere on set and develop the narrative merging between fashion and contemporary art?
Bea: To start with, the team was a small one. We were four women of similar ages creating a space in which all contributions to the creative process were welcome. I feel that we generated a fun environment. The set became a playroom to improvise with the objects and make creative compositions. There were no limits, and it wasn’t an assignment. We played with improvisation, and everything was allowed.
Marta: I think domestic spaces are always a good place to show contemporary art or explore further. The atmosphere was given by the stuff we already found there. It is a matter of how you look at your environment and how you are able to understand and see random objects as tools for creating something new.
Alba: We wanted to create optical illusions and show the work behind it, and that’s it. Fuse the set with clothes, that there was no separation between concepts since both have the same importance in the narrative.
Maite: Depth was important from a compositional perspective because it had to reflect the complexities of the subjects and all the layers of meaning. We played with theatrical sets that made a nod to an intricate language of symbols.
‘I guard special affection for the welcoming moment as I immediately felt part of the project.’
— Beatriz Luque
Which moment from this project is most precious to you?
Bea: Personally, I found the shooting quite interesting and original. I appreciate that the team thought of me as the model. I guard special affection for the welcoming moment as I immediately felt part of the project.
Marta: Our trust in each other since we first hugged on the front door is what I hold dearest.
Alba: Sorority. Working with a team of such amazing women.
Maite: I wanted to work with all the people involved in the team for a while, so it was great to see that happen!
