Can something that makes you uncomfortable also be beautiful? Can something that makes you uneasy turn you on? The answer to the second is a matter of personal taste. The answer to the first is, arguably, yes, as art that speaks a message can easily be both. In Peter Coulson‘s shoot Plastic, model Sally Ersch is mannequin-like. Lizzie Sharp’s makeup work leaves her with sunken eyes, hidden brows, powdery white lashes and painted pink nipples on waxy skin. Headpieces assimilated from barbie dolls, pristine white roses, spikes and guns appear like strange and subversive interpretations of religious iconography. Click the thumbnails for full pictures: If beauty can be found in the strange, if fetish can be formed from the coldness of plastic instead of the warmth of human touch, then Coulson’s shoot – styled by Taryn Gionis & Joel Gionis – is a representation. View all of Peter Coulson’s shoot (peter-coulson.com.au) at the gallery.
