Irish artist Hannah Starkey wields an amazing amount of control over her photographed tableaux. Every element within her scenes is carefully considered; the lighting is often cinematic, and the costumes and color schemes are rife with psychological undertones. Starkey was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1971 and earned her MA from The Royal College of Art in 1997. In her early work, she often depicted young women in relation to their environments. The arrangement of the female figures in her tableaux evokes social status as well as isolation. Her images are striking and yet subtle. The color schemes and composition in each work invite the viewer in to investigate just what is happening with the characters within. While the mise-en-scene is quite dramatic, the action of the figures is often subdued. Starkey has turned to examining constructed realities in her more recent photographs. Cold, manufactured environments are contrasted with the individuals who populate these spaces. Humanity is threated when seen against the sterile, lifeless locales of public institutions.
I admire Starkey's brilliant color choices and full exploration of the depth within the photographs. Her figures are elegantly posed and work well as psychological portraits.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/feb/15/photography
http://www.postmedia.net/01/starkey.htm
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/hannah_starkey.htm
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