FMS404ShootingBeautySalmonM: Macabre Photography

I think Oleg Dou is an exceptional artist and photographer and his works are very interesting. I found this artist whilst searching for photography and art that would inspire me in regards of my word Macabre. When observing Oleg Dou's works I think his photographs all hold a surreal, disturbing and creepy mood but they are so interesting and captivating I almost get lost in the images.

Oleg Dou Biography
The information below is sourced from Oleg Dou's official website.
(http://olegdou.com)

"Being electrocuted when I was two years old is the first thing I remember."

"I like having a tradition and seeing how it can work with modern material, how it can translate into new ideas."

"I want to concoct a situation that happens, for example, In European films: there doesn't seem to be a specific message, but the situation plays with our head and makes us ask ourselves questions like, "what is this" and "what is this for?"

"I find it extremely important to do what I do "beautifully"; not for beauty itself, per se, but more so as a tool that makes my ideas both interesting and workable".

"I am looking for something bordering between the beautiful and the repulsive, living and dead. I want to attain the feeling of presence one can get when walking past a plastic manikin..."

My favourite collection of Oleg Dou is called 'Cubs', this collection of images are all available to see on his website alongside other images he has created also. I found these images disturbing, surreal and captivating to look at as the collection is all of very young boys photographed and they all look very creepy and almost porcelain like. The all look very animated and as if they are about to move or jump out of the image, this collection holds and eery and creepy mood to it, perfectly portraying someone or something that is Macabre.

Before the start of the 'Cubs' collection go Oleg Dou's official website, there it the caption

"There was a peculiar tradition in the XIX century of doing photo shoots with dead children".
This caption reminded me not only of the meaning of the word 'Macabre' but also some of the traditions the Victorians had in regards to their weird obsession with death.