GO-SEES, DOMENIQUE, LONDON, 29TH SEPTEMBER 1998 | JUERGEN TELLER
What interests Juergen Teller is the truth, more than a refined setup. His photography naturally stems from encounters, offering us a glimpse into what is commonly hidden, concealed, altered, or adorned in a sense of embellishment makeup. However, there is no dogmatism or allusiveness; the formal pursuit of conceptualism and Teller’s nude bodies present themselves with a kind of innocence in their poses and contexts. The portrait finds its strength in this truth that is not absolute, but rather the singularity, peculiarity, and thus the true and real uniqueness of every human being.
A daily and unorthodox casting, Go-Sees is a collection of portraits, poses, clothes, and hairstyles that, in its deliberately non-homogeneous seriality, reflect the image and imagination of an era: the late nineties. Hundreds of aspiring models were directed to Teller’s studio in Notting Hill by his agency. The photographer had the unquestionable judgment of the casting outcome: accepted or rejected. This opportunity for models becomes a challenge, an acrobatic, a fast and total audition, a pose, a chance.
And so, Domenique shows herself and displays acrobatic skills, foregrounding her legs, wrapped in torn stockings, hands on the gray sidewalk instead of a gym mat, a red shirt stands out amidst headlights and car bodies, in a subversion not only of the natural upright position but also of the imposed stereotypes and canons of beauty.
Despite the evident effort to ‘maintain’ the pose, Domenique manages to turn her gaze towards the camera, revealing her face, profile, and directing her eyes like a true professional.
It’s an aesthetic of imperfection that Teller consistently and ironically replicates, never didactic or repetitive, in a game that exploits the moment, coincidences, and intuition, offering us that truth, not universal but overwhelmed by the particular, which is life.
This artwork is currently on display at the Triennale Milano, as part of the exhibition Juergen Teller, i need to live, from January 27 to April 1, 2024.
Juergen Teller
Go-Sees, Domenique, London, 29th September 1998
Giclée print, 30 × 25 cm
© Juergen Teller, all rights reserved
23/03/2024