Yvonne Todd

Yvonne Todd’s spectral subjects sit patiently against smooth dark backgrounds. Her clever lighting techniques afford her characters a formidable presence as they stare through the lens. Through formal training in commercial photography, Todd has developed what she calls a ‘pathological obsession with technological intricacy’ using her large-format camera.

Todd is trying to manipulate us. Her photographs expose the subtle but insidious notions of body image and the feminine ideal – largely through the portrayal of unhealthy women. She never explicitly states anything - her characters are pristine and shining in their attire – but their stoic, seemingly apathetic postures scream of their inwardly damaged psychology. A state of disruption also pervades the onlooker as these females are both heavily victimised by Todd while they retain a certain predatory air.

The ladies of The Sea of Tranquility represent the female at the epitome of the domestic ideal. Their long, voluptuous hair drapes over the shoulders, and their carefully decorated faces sit jarringly atop stiff mannequin-like busts. The dress Todd has chosen for these women makes them seem dowdy, Victorian and somewhat chaste, with their high-necked white garb. This contrasts their made-up faces, but reflects their mournful expressions. Why are these ideals of perfection unsatisfied? Are they placed in this position by men, or is this a shared self-inflicted state of consciousness?

Here is the link to Yvonne Todd's site Evron: http://www.ervon.com/photographs/sea-of-tranquility/