Eliška Sky: Womaneroes
With Eliška Sky's photographic project Womaneroes, one is pulled into a kaleidoscopic world of colour, texture and shapes, embodied within a tribe of female warriors, each one standing powerfully — unique in age, body type, ethnicity, personality, yet all unified in their representation of the diverse spectrum to be found in the feminine form. Sky's project moved beyond its original raison d'etre as an instigation of "visual play" to include a more contemplative exploration of the manner in which women's bodies are depicted in popular media — and how women in turn react to and internalize visual representations of femininity.
Inspired by her extended involvement in the fashion industry — having studied Fashion Photography at the London College of Fashion, and worked for many years with a variety of fashion brands, magazines and agencies — and her personal struggles with body image at a young age, Sky felt the need to address the severe lack of representation that has long been considered an inalterable paradigm within the idealistic world of fashion. Although steps have been made in recent decades to open up the fashion industry to more realistic and inclusive notions of beauty, as well as to advocate for body positivity, the fact remains that the industry is still in the early stages of change. The photographs of Womaneroes exhibit the playful spirit of Sky's larger oeuvre and her penchant for vibrant colour (she cites, among her diverse array of inspiration, the colourful works of artist Olaf Breuning), as well as the strength to be seen in collaboration: for, complimenting Sky's photography and art direction are the creative efforts of body painter, artist and model Michael Moon, as well as the sculptural wig creations of set designer Lydia Chan.
The combined creative power of these three artists, along with the input of the models at the center of the project — many of which were friends of Sky's who volunteered their involvement — has resulted in a series of images in which we not only see women embrace the transformative power to be experienced in photography, but a sense of trust in the collaborative process, as the viewer becomes confronted with the knowledge of the intimacy of the body painting process. To accept and be open to such a level of closeness, and the empowerment to be seen in such an act, reinforces Sky's dedication to exploring the liberation of the female form. Each woman is photographed equally — in the same forward-facing stance, their bodies open and exposed, save for their concealed visages — and without the addition of any "camera trickery" or manipulative angles to give the illusion of a more "flattering" physique. Speaking with INFRINGE, Sky revealed, "[The models] were pushed out of their comfort zone and I think they suddenly saw new versions of themselves, especially with this heroic body paint which transformed them. Also, with their identity covered, they had to focus purely on their body shapes and sometimes couldn’t even recognise themselves. I think this made them find a new connection with their body image, their self-perception."
It is perhaps Sky's background as a former dancer, combined with the sinuous, flowing creations of Chan's sculptural wigs and Moon's various patterns, that give the photographs in Womaneros a sense of dynamic movement, even when all of the subjects are clearly stationary. Each carefully developed element, from mood board to final visual realization, comes together to bring forth figures that feel like sculptural embodiments of Sky's vision of liberation and strength in all female forms.