At the onset of the Pandemic, I lost my mother; I had just flown back from being with her and I would not be able to return to pay my last respects.
Simultaneously, my eldest son was preparing to leave for college, and the comfort of our daily routines, established for years were about to end abruptly.
With the loss of my mother, I became the adult, the matriarch. The guidance I trusted, the protection and intimacy I relied upon was gone, the benefit of being the child vanished. And with the anticipation of my son’s departure, I was thrusted into an uncharted emotional landscape, one where I felt undefined as a mother and did not know how to move forward, I longed to create a new foundation/point of departure, a new space, build from my memories.
In these B&W images, I abstract my body and I examine the lines and textures of my form; I start with my silhouette and the geometric shapes it generates, moving from one part of my body to the next. With repeated observation all I come to see are the different visual structures I produce, like the triangles composed of my legs or “s” shapes of my figure. And in the final print I present my body upside down and sideways and unsettle the viewer, forcing them to find or recognize the familiar shapes relating to themselves as the texture of my skin becomes the one indicator that these images are of my body.
So, returning to myself and turning the camera onto me is my way forward. Slowly one by one I am able to explore and chart my new emotional landscape, I am relearning who I am in order to know where I am going.
About MG Vander Elst
MG Vander Elst (b.1967) is a fine art photographer from Antwerp, Belgium. In 1990 she earned a certificate in photography from the Portfolio Center (Atlanta, Ga). After graduating, she moved to NYC, worked as a photographer’s assistant, and built her own freelance portrait business. Her work has evolved to include still life, landscape and abstract work. MG was exposed to art at an early age through her parents love of Modern art and the frequent school visits to Ruben’s house with a deep exploration of the Dutch Masters. All these elements shaped her style. She lives with her husband and 2 sons in Brooklyn, NY. [Official Website]
