Bettina Rheims (*1952)
»Elephant«, France, Paris, March 1985
From the series »Bricks«
After a brief career as a model, the French photographic artist became known primarily for her portrayals of female models in erotic and voyeuristic situations, as well as for her provocative works of staged photography, for which she recreated motifs from art history. When she met an important taxidermist named Deyrolle in 1982, she added a new aspect to her work by photographing 57 stuffed animals in close-up. These are surrounded by an aura reminiscent of classic studio character portraits, suggesting vital humanity with images of dead animals. The publication of this series did not follow until 1994 under the title ‘Animal’, with the illustrations printed in black and white; the photo book, which is now out of print, is a sought-after collector's item.
PolaColor 20x24, print date: Vintage / Unique
Image dimensions 61 x 51 cm (61 x 51 inch)
Object dimensions 79 x 55,8 cm (79 x 55,8 inch)
Mounting, Framing Archival cardboard mat 90 x 70 cm, frame on request
Annotations
Signed and dated »Mars 1985. Paris. Bettina Rheims« in the lower margin, former Polaroid Coll. No. »85:1928:02« on the reverse
Literature
Bettina Rheims, Animal, with a text by Serge Bramly, Munich: Gina Kehayoff, 1994
Prints / Stillleben / Tier / Farbfotografie /
