Concept Statement

The whole, its parts.

Photography allows me to express myself and interpret the world I live in. No other process allows me to translate what I envisage into a visual piece so freely and comfortably.

In this piece my original aim was to find a way to represent the quote ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' (Aristotle), using the body as an illustration. As I began researching how others had interpreted the quote, I developed my own understanding. When thinking about the body and the concept as a whole I realized that this quote outlines my perception of the world. I am very in touch with my surroundings and am continually dissecting and analyzing segments of it.

I have been inspired by the work of Shane Rozario and Howard Schatz. Rozario documents and represents the portrait as a whole, as well as single parts. Schatz uses minimal light to emphasize the body’s contours and aesthetic nature. Both artists photograph the same subject but in a distinctive way.

I chose to present my images in a less ‘constructed’ way to emphasize the unique and organic structure of the body. The title ‘The whole, its parts’ is included next to the work without an explanation so that this concept can stimulate the viewer’s thoughts without shaping their perception.

I have formed a new appreciation of the distinctive elements that make up the body as a whole; their form, texture, structure. By dissecting the body into different parts I have realized that although the body as a whole may be greater than its parts in size, its parts are no less ‘greater’ in terms of value.

Christina Nikolovski