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Thea Lovering- Sticks and Stones

Thea Lovering is a portrait photographer based in London. After completing an Art and Design Foundation Diploma at Northampton University she began studying BA (Hons) Photography at Falmouth University. Since graduating she has spent her time developing and understanding her practice further as well as various freelance work and now studio work. Lovering says she thrives on the interplay of interesting or unusual light within her subjects and also portraying identity and personality through their environment and the body.

"This project Sticks and Stones focuses mainly on traces left on the skin from operations, self-inflicted injuries or accidents. In the process of working on this project the images gradually focussed on the effects and documentation of time on the body and the way the skin reacts to environmental stressors. From the impermanence of traces such as bruises or indents, compared to the permanence and historical record of scars, they all provide a narrative. It interests me that there is something often heroic about a scar, a point of pride. Inversely there can be something embarrassing or shameful about self-harm scars or birthmarks and blemishes, something to hide."

“The project first came around through observation of my own scars. Imperfections such as a birthmarks or skin pigmentation also became of interest to me. From the impermanence of traces such as bruises or indents, compared to the permanence and historical record of scars, I was fascinated by the narrative they provide. It interests me that there is something often heroic about a scar, a point of pride. Inversely there can be something embarrassing or shameful about self harm scars or birthmarks and blemishes, something to hide. In the process of working on this project the final images gradually focused on the effects and documentation of time on the body and the way the skin reacts to environmental stresses. My intent was to beautify these scars using natural light.

I am working on a collaboration with Tim Andrews and a project called And Far Away. Tim Andrews contacted me following my graduate degree show. He asked me to photograph him after being recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. It is early stages of the project however with Sticks and Stones I felt I needed to spend longer with each model to build a better rapport and a better understanding of my subject. It is exiting that I can build this relationship with Tim whilst creating a series of portraits combined with his poetry. Before this I lived in Yangon, Myanmar for three months creating portraits on Burmese people living and working in Myanmar.”


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