Jess Lane discusses her photo book, ‘If Bitten by an Angel’ created during lockdown
7th July 2020
‘If Bitten by an Angel’ is a photo book project created in lockdown, inspired by and titled after the David R. Morgan poem, whose words touch upon similar themes and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project reflects upon the feelings of uncertainty, suffocation and isolation that this time has brought to many.
‘If Bitten by an Angel’ paints a fictional narrative of an infection, the side effects which come along with it and the journey to become cured. I was heavily influenced by Surrealism and drew inspiration from artists such as Francesca Woodman and Dora Maar; my main goal was to create images which were abstract and ethereal to emphasise the haunting elements of the narrative.
With the photo book itself, I wanted to throw people off balance to create a more disoriented experience much like what the character within the narrative is experiencing. The first and last images are similar, one being inverted, to represent a return to a ‘new normal’. Similarly to the current pandemic, people are gradually returning to their normal lives, with a few changes – we will all be impacted by these ongoing events, which will continue to influence us in the future.
Interesting concept. I like it.