Dramatic Photographs Of Nudes Mimic That Of A Butterfly Erupting From Its Cocoon

Photographer E.E. McCollum’s heavenly figures are both encased and exploding out of their shell in The Cocoon Series. The translucent film covering the figures in the photos transforms the bodies as it mimics that of a butterfly cocoon. McCowell’s work is both stunning and absolutely transcendent, as they seem to be not of this world. Each stretch and fold molds the figures into new shapes as they try to erupt from their form. A master of light and shadow, McCollum started in photography using traditional darkroom processes. This influence can be seen in his current series because they have a stark contrast of lights and darks, much like analogue photography.

The film cast engulfing his figures is lit so well that you we can see every fine line of the body underneath, showing the mesmerizing positions of the bodies. These majestic and elegant poses are not unlike those of dancers, who McCollum often photographs in his other work. Each figure becomes sculptural as the lighting and film engulfing it reshapes and morphs it into another state of being, just like the caterpillar changing into a butterfly. McCollum’s most dramatic and captivating photos are those in which the body is finally erupting out of its “cocoon.” The incredible movement created in these photos is as intense and magical as the transformational act of the creation of butterfly. (via artfucksme)

I love the mystery of these images; the way the material distorts our perception of the body, the layers of the images.          -E.E. McCollum

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