Esther
Story by Viridiana Morandini
Esther is a story created by Viridiana Morandini, a photographer based in Barcelona. Viridiana has carefully crafted a narrative around sexuality in connection to the perception of the model, Esther, of her body and experiences. Viridiana explains the choice of the character and the reflection on the way nudity was presented in art, “it is something that has always captivated me about her and reminds me of a contemporary Botticelli’s Venus.” As Botticelli’s Venus depicts the birth of a goddess and, in a controversial way to the era, presents the nude body, Esther's story aims to challenge the dictated norms of society and invites the viewer to perceive sexuality through the character’s personal experiences rather than societal expectations.
The link created is with nature and the world of animals, which symbolizes the perceived freedom of the possibilities of being and appearing. This freedom to be authentic is sought by the main character and is found through the strong connection of human experiences and the body's connection to nature. The story consists of portraits, still life, and landscapes in black and white and in color, emphasizing the duality of self-identification as opposed to the way the person is received by others.
‘We were analyzing how to strip sensuality of its most visceral vision and bring it closer to something more aesthetic, natural, and animal.’
This project was born from a conversation between Esther and me about sexuality, sexual relationships, and how our bodies are inserted into the aesthetic canons of the society in which we are born. We were analyzing how to strip sensuality of its most visceral vision and bring it closer to something more aesthetic, natural, and animal. I decided that it would be interesting to narrate what she sees if she looks at herself from the outside and how she perceives her own body to generate a dialogue between herself and images that will narrate personal experiences of sexual relationships.
‘After all, it is something that has always captivated me about her and reminds me of a contemporary Botticelli’s Venus.’
It was important to show what Esther transmitted to me and create an environment in which she felt safe. That's why I decided to shoot at my house with natural light. I asked her to bring all the clothes that were interesting to her and, together, we created the looks. I also asked her not to wear makeup because I was interested in seeing her naturally and with her hair down. After all, it is something that has always captivated me about her and reminds me of a contemporary Botticelli’s Venus.
‘One of the challenges was getting her comfortable in front of the camera, posing with styling, and also naked.’
The most important thing for me in this project was to generate a connection with Esther so that the images did not just reveal fashion but the whole story. One of the challenges was getting her comfortable in front of the camera, posing with styling, and also naked. That's why, while we were putting together the looks in the living room of my house, I was also trying things on and took off my clothes to try on looks. This way, I was breaking the taboo of nudity between us, and then, when I asked her to get completely naked for a photo, it was very easy and natural for her because she had also seen me naked. The other pictures in the editorial are narrative threads that interpret her experience with sex and the intimate relationships she has had.
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