When Hermes meets horses
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The play by Peter Shaffer, where a psychiatrist attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological sexual obsession with horses, is reminiscent of the work of US photographer Monica Stevenson she uses luxury goods such as Tiffany bracelets and Hermes Scarves on and next to equines as the focus for some of her major work.
This piece of a horse wearing a luxury scarf ‘Hermes Scarf Horse’ won Stevenson a place in the ‘Advertising photographers of America’. It makes you question the piece, such as is it a real horse? Is that leather belts around the ears? and touches on the use of animals as commodities. It is displayed in such as way that you have to see it, you have to notice every inch of, its colour, its folds.
Stevensons person artwork is around the photographing of horse, she has a whole host of beautiful images of them, running, sleeping and on the polo field on her website. Her love of these animals is amalgamated with brand such as Gucci and Hermes so well in Stevensons work.
Her work is alluring and invites you to watch? It feels as if Stevenson is pulling back the curtain and unveiling a taboo, daring us to keep watching.
The work has almost a sadomasochistic edge to it, highlighted by the use of horse and human hair wound around Iron stirrups and leather straps, oddly enough a similar thing is depicted on this vintage Hermes scarf.
Stevenson also used bugs in her work, something that isnt instantly recognisable in fashion photography. She holds the piece up to you, as she is saying “Look at it, really take time to look!”.
What she does is feeds a story into each piece of work, your reading it as you look at each photograph inturn. Its what keeps you reading, thats Stevensons skill.
Part 1, A Visit to Buckaroo Leather, Diamond Springs, California