I have come across some photographers that I believe have a very similar style and focus point in their work. I have previously looked at Nadia Lee Cohens work which was a point of inspiration for my ‘Twisted Playboy’ shoot. I have continued to look into her work, read interviews and articles about her to gain a deeper insight into why she creates these dark humour images. In an interview with her, Cohen was asked about her opinion on fellow creative Alex Prager, as both share quite similar aesthetics. Cohen believes her work takes a more fashion-forward approach, but she purposely doesn’t use ‘model-model’s’ as she prefers to work with real people with real bodies (captures more raw, awkward shots that work well for her concepts). Both artists look at the ‘ugly-pretty’ concept to create juxtaposition in their images, as well as contradicting their stereotyped concepts, offering a new view on people, eras and socially constructed notions. The idea of deconstructing, destroying and remoulding social ideals, stereotypes and ‘dreams’ are all concepts in the artists’ work. To me they discuss how constrictive and regulated society is- by basing their work off old Americana (besides the dainty, pretty aesthetic) they heavily challenge the ideals set in real time, for example a burning house with a picket fence sends the message of the destroyed American Dream. Suburbia is often pictured in the work, as suburban locations are often used in cinematography and film as a symbol for isolation, loneliness and disappointment (not living up to expectations).

I have now started looking at Juno Calypso, a British photographer most known for her self-portraits as her alter-ego called “Joyce”. Her main topics of focus are based around isolation, loneliness, feminism and being ‘self-sufficient’ as a woman. Her most recognised and praised work is ‘The Honeymoon’ series, where she took Joyce to a romantic themed hotel in America. Posing as a travel writer, Calypso managed to gain access to all of the rooms in this eclectic hotel and created a series of images of a lonely honeymoon. Joyce is the only subject in the work, it is meant to be quite funny- like in some shots where she lays in a heart shaped tub by herself. Calypso makes Joyce half attractive and sexually appealing, and half off-putting, which is something I experimented with in the Playboy inspired self portraits I took in the lead up to the FMP project. I really like the image of her stood in the tub, with multiple angel mirrors, as she stands quite seductively with her green skin.  This is an image I am constantly thinking back to, as it captures all the ideas and feelings I want my playing cards to embody.