Kirsty Mitchell and the Art of Photography

Kirsty Mitchell and the Art of Photography                   

I recently came across the photography of Kirsty Mitchell and it seems she is becoming increasingly well known, particularly for her images of “Wonderland,” her installation in the windows of Karen Millen, and for her many press and TV appearances.  On the whole, her reviews are overwhelmingly positive and she is much admired by both critics and public alike, although I have heard her work criticised and dismissed as banal.  Beyond this, there has always been a long standing debate about whether photography can be considered an art form or whether it is merely a scientific process requiring no more these days than the push of a button.  To me, it depends on who is in control of the camera and the quality of the image they produce at the end of the process.

When making or reviewing an image, all the same qualities come in to play that need to be considered when making an image with any media – composition, colour, form, balance, whether the image is engaging, is able to evoke an emotional response, does it shock, surprise, is it a social commentary or is its pleasure purely in its aesthetic beauty.  All of these elements affect the outcome, and form the success criteria, of any visual art form.  In addition to this, until recently, the photographer could not alter what is really there in front of them in the same way that an artist can adapt or be selective within a piece of work.  The photographer has to make the best of what lies before them.  In addition to this, the photographer has the ability to capture and freeze a single moment in time that may otherwise have been lost forever, making photography a very powerful emotional tool.  This is not necessarily the same for artists who have models pose over days or weeks, or who record a place by painting in situ for hours.  The fleeting moments, passing expressions or details that might be snapped up by the photographer can be easily be lost by a painter striving for perfection.  In fact this lack of spontaneity can sometimes render a photograph less powerful too.

There is an honesty in photography that can be lost in other visual art forms.  Take the paintings of late Kings and Queens and the flattery demanded of any worthy royal artist to ensure that the picture was acceptable to the monarch in question.  It is more difficult to hide the truth in photography.  An artist can imagine the horrors of war and attempt to convey this in their work; a photographer has to live it, and the grim reality is often more powerful than a remembered or imagined truth. 

I greatly admire all the work of Kirsty Mitchell.  It is beautifully constructed, conveys her sense of design, style and composition, all combining to create amazingly beautiful and effective images.  Her artistry in constructing the props and staging the whole scene, her thought process and the imagination behind her images make her work truly exquisite.  She also demonstrates her prowess as a photographer; her understanding and use of light and her ability to combine together all the required elements to make her images aesthetically stunning.  ‘The Chrysalis’ Child’ is one of my favourites and one that perfectly demonstrates her photographic skills.   It cannot be argued that this is not art, and perhaps now that photography can be so easily manipulated, this is the way forward for those photographers who need more of a creative outlet than the ability to capture a moment in an evocative way.  I imagine that in the future we will see much more constructed work, photographers planning their images in detail way in advance of a shoot and perhaps dealing less with the here and now.  

However, for me her most emotive work is that which is a little more raw and less contrived.  My favourites from “Wonderland” are ‘The lady of the Lake’ and ‘Euphaeidae.’  Both images have a simple beauty and allow you to focus on the emotion in the faces of the subjects as well as the way they sit perfectly within these natural and less constructed settings.  I also love Kirsty’s portraits from Hong Kong and some of her early and very open personal stuff.  I love looking at her flickr stream because you can see her journey as an artist, share in her thought processes and intriguingly, witness the development of her work and creative style.  All artists go through this journey and here is an example of one who, for me, ends the debate about whether or not photography is an art form.