Part visual art, part fashion photography, this image series by thingspowerthemselves x Maidenfed x Fleet Ilya is striking, hypnotic and powerful. Using chrome leather pieces from the London-based accessories line, photographer Rita Minissi perfectly captures the beautiful form of artist/model Maidenfed and creates a dominant, controlling figure that is both anonymous and alluring. We were immediately drawn to the series' stark white setting and eye catching chrome pieces that can also appear as metal. Minissi is well-known for using visual and performance art to explore concepts such as identity, appearance and perception of ones own self. The Brvtalist wanted to learn more about these images and had the pleasure of speaking to Minissi about them. Please find our Q&A below:
*click images to enlarge
The Brvtalist: First off, are these new Fleet Ilya pieces? We spoke earlier and you mentioned they are leather with a chrome finish which gives the appearance of metal in the studio light. Is that also where you got the idea to use a reflection?
Rita Minissi: The pieces featured in these images are not new; I’m not sure exactly when the fox mask was first released, but it’s a piece that I think of as iconic to the Fleet Ilya brand. Personally, I believe that this brand is the best in the niche market of leather accessories – their offerings are exemplary both in terms of innovative design and impeccable craftsmanship. The chrome finish is a patent silver coating on top of thick leather; it can easily be mistaken for metal unless you are inspecting it closely.
I have actually been working with mirrors and reflective surfaces as a visual element for several years, so this idea wasn’t entirely new to me, but it felt appropriate to revisit my space in the dungeon that is Photoshop for the sake of this project. Before this, I photographed a chrome motorcycle on top of mirrors, so I found some comfort in knowing that the retouching on these images would be much less torturous.
TB: This goes to one of my favorite aspects - do you approach your work as fine art photography, fashion photography, performance art, or perhaps just visual art or something else?
RM: I approach it as a process, without confining it to any specific categorization. These images are a collaboration with my friend, Jackie/Maidenfed, so they were our excuse to hang out and work together. Her role as a photo subject is extensive and she also assembles collages using that body of work; it was my hope to shoot material that could be useful for her collages.
TB: The concept of transformation struck me here. The subject is a beautiful human that also resembles an animal. Are you often interested in the transformation process? I've noticed birth (or maybe rebirth) might be a theme in your work as well.
RM: Well, all relationships must be open to change, so in that sense, I am definitely interested in progression and adaptation. For how I explore photography, I think all of my photo subjects play a role that is not their usual self. In my mind, the animal mask in this series matters less for resembling an animal and more for being a mask. To me it’s not so much a transformation as it is a type of liberation that comes with having one’s identity shielded—protected.
Thank you to Rita Minissi for taking the time to speak with us. Special thanks also to Maidenfed and Fleet Ilya. We admire all three of the artists/brands in this series and it's amazing to see them all working together in such harmony. For more information please visit the follow:
thingspowerthemselves: website, instagram
Maidenfed: website, instagram
Fleet Ilya: website, instagram
-JRS