From David Rosenberg’s article concerning Rachel Papo’s series “Desperately Perfect” for Don’t Take Pictures:
‘Desperately Perfect’ feels cinematic, like stepping into a Russian movie set. This setting is one nod to Papo’s title. The colors are rich, yet faded, highlighting both the opulence and the disrepair of the famed Russian city. Intricate fabrics look worn, as do the carpets that line the floors; an old telephone rests in the foreground of one image. There are mismatched chairs, crooked art on the walls, and the young students wear clothing with English words and phrases that are probably chosen to be “cool,” but instead feel out of context. The title, of course, also refers to the dancers. When photographing them during routines and rehearsal, Papo found that that their posing for the camera was automatic; as dancers after all, it is in their nature to pose. But it is not always clear if they were posing from the strict discipline of their ballet training or because they were hyper-aware of the camera’s presence. “They were really proud,” Papo said. “Maybe they thought I would bring them some recognition with the pictures—who knows?—they all agreed [to my being there] … no one ever said no.”
View the series “Desperately Perfect” at ClampArt
Browse all of Rachel Papo’s work at ClampArt