Toby Burrows' Floating Fairies
- Author: Vivianne Lapointe
- Posted on: Thursday May 6, 2010 at 1:00 PM
- Filed under: art, photography, toby burrows, exclusive, ida rentoul outhwaite, australian fairies, dreams, modern photography, medium format
We recently fell head-over-heels with the beautiful, supernatural photos of Australian photographer Toby Burrows. Almost like a modern photographic version of famous fairy illustrations by Australian children's book artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite in 1916 (Anyone from Oz knows her work; See below), Burrows' photos make you believe fairies really do exist. And even if you don't believe in fairies, but you like beauty or the juxtaposition of the female body with nature, you'll appreciate his work below.
We caught a quick Q&A with the artist about his most impressive series, titled Fallen.
INTERVIEW WITH TOBY BURROWS:
Q: The Fallen series seem to be more about the environment than the human body itself. Tell us about your vision.
A: It explores 'form' and its relationship to landscape. Some images convey a feeling of freedom, and other feel like a tragedy. The relationship between the surreal nudes on landscapes talks to everybody differently. I wanted the viewer to create their own story.
Q: What is the process from concept to finished product?
A: For the Fallen series and my upcoming Tempest series, I spent a lot of time location searching and casting. I always travel with a great cast and crew that enjoy the process. I shoot the images on a medium format digital back. I shoot all of the figures in the photographs on the location in which they appear. I will shoot a locked off background shot to enable us to ‘brush through’ the lighting and apparatus from the final image.
It is very important for me to continue to shoot the art on location. When we were in the forest, we all had leaches on us and in the waves we got wet! It feels like we have lived the images and feels like we can appreciate the final product as something a little more organic.
Q: If there was no time / space / budget limit, what would be the ultimate shoot you'd like to do?
A: As the ideas are getting bigger, things just seem to be getting a little more dangerous! For the next two series that we have planned, a risk assessment team will be brought in to minimise risk to the safety of cast and crew. We are going to have a good time. Will keep you posted.
Q: In your background section on your website it says that you document "people in their extraordinary environments living extraordinary lives – a recurring theme throughout Toby’s portfolio of work." How is the series representative of that?
A: We all live in an extraordinary time and place. The journey and the process of creating the images is what it is all about for me – the finished work should reflect that process. Whether you are shooting a portrait, or creating your own surreal vision, I think it is important to really appreciate the beauty of the every day that is often seen as mundane. There is always something to be found.
A follow-up series titled Tempest, in which Burrows photographed figures on rock flats in southern New South Wales, Australia, is set to be exhibited later this year. Here's a sneak preview!
Sample of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite's illustrations from 1916:
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COMMENTS
“ wow, interesting ”
“ Great ”
“ Fascinating... Dear author, this article is highly recommended as a rejuvenating and exhilarant busy-day break. ”
“ fairies haha ...still alive ... ”
