After a bit of a heavy weekend, I can certainly sympathise with Camille Renée Devid‘s concerns about the ageing process. However, the Dutch photographer’s angst goes deeper than most people’s, taking hold to such an extent that it became an essential factor in her creative direction. Where others embark on health kicks or take to dressing in age-inappropriate clothing to hold back the inevitable, Devid forced herself to confront the ravages of time by beginning a project of intimate self-portraits of the kind that shunned the flattering airbrush and instead brought all her bodily flaws to the fore.
The Foto Academie Amsterdam graduate says that at first, she was unable to photograph herself in this fragile state. Devid is also a graduate of the Artemis Styling Academie, and as such used to making things looking as attractive as possible, and the realisation that she was no longer in the first flush of youth led to something of a crisis. Gradually her inhibitions faded and the photographic process also became one of self-discovery and artistic freedom. My Other Side is a collection of images arising from this journey, characterised by decontextualising super close-ups and use of ghostly focus. The 46-page book features 26 photographs and is available from Schilt Publishing for £12.50.
