Tuesday, February 14, 2012

It's so wrong, but...





How beautiful/disturbing are these photographs
by belgian photographer, Frieke Janssens?
Don't worry, it's all for show!

A quote from her website:

"Adult smokers are the societal norm, so I wanted to isolate the viewer's focus upon the issue of smoking itself. I felt that children smoking would have a surreal impact upon the viewer and compel them to truly see the acts of smoking rather than making assumptions about the person doing the act. Coincidentally around the time of the "Smoking Kids" gallery opening, a law was passed, and smoking has been banned from Belgian bars. There was an outcry from the public about government intervention, feelings that freedom was being oppressed, and that adults were being treated like children. With health reasons driving many cities to ban smoking, the culture around smoking has a retro feel, like the time period of "Mad Men," when smoking on a plane or in a restaurant was not unusual. The aesthetics of smoke and the particular way smokers gesticulate with their hands and posture cannot be denied, but among the different tribes of "Smoking Kids," - Glamour, Jazz, and The Marginal - there is a nod to less attractive aspects, on the line between the beauty and ugliness of smoking. To assure you of the safety of the children, there were no real cigarettes on set. Instead, chalk and sticks of cheese were the prop stand ins, while candles and incense provided the wisps of smoke."

3 comments:

  1. this is stunning! she is so right to make this statement photos! here in italy some so many people as it's like normal to be a smoker and nobody talks about the negative! really weard to see this kids, but it definatelly has his effect!

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  2. oh my! disturbing indeed! but i love the statement about it - whenever i see 'mad men' or 'pan am' i'm still caught out by how much folk smoked (and drank!) and no seat belts!!!

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  3. These are crazy! Thought provoking though.

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