STILL — Four&Sons
Art&Culture, Photography

STILL

Nadin Maria Rüfenacht’s eerie, David Lynch-like photographs are a triumph to behold.

s READ MORE
CLOSE

STILL

Upon encountering the work of Nadin Maria Rüfenacht, one is sure to feel at a loss for words, even a little uncomfortable. Set against a black background, the eerie, David Lynch-like photographs are a triumph to behold. With Nature Morte, Rüfenacht wants viewers to remain open, “irritated” at times, as the artist urges them to look deeper at both the images and themselves.

Nature Morte translates to ‘still life’ but lest you start conjuring images of fruit artfully arranged in a bowl. OK, there is fruit, but the pears and pomegranates are carefully placed on draped cloths surrounded by monkeys, horses, heads and, of course, dogs—Rüfenacht’s own whippets Titus and Xavoo to be precise.

Born in Burgdorf, Switzerland, Rüfenacht was raised by hippie parents in the countryside. There were always animals about, which has informed the development of her work. After experimenting with black-and-white images in her high-school photo lab, Rüfenacht moved to Leipzig to study the craft full time. Over the years, she grew weary of looking for visuals in real life, and so the artist decided she must “build a stage” to bring the work she envisioned in her mind to fruition. Nature Morte was shaped around the concept of heros—who they are and what they look like. Placing Titus and Xavoo in stylised scenarios allows them to be viewed in an entirely new way.

Rüfenacht is fascinated by how and why particular photographs and paintings resonate with a viewer. Nature Morte references styles from Renaissance to Baroque to Surrealism, with the artist learning along the way how “to create new meanings and possibilities to interpret.” She describes her whippets as “very quiet inside and have a lot of energy outside,” which makes them the ideal subjects for this staged reality. Rüfenacht’s next project will comprise “really big collages” of her own photographs, again utilising animals in surrealist situations. Viewers beware.


All images courtesy of Nadin Maria Rüfenacht
This article was initially published at the Four&Sons broadsheet.

CLOSE

PACK OF DOGS

Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Spanish photographer Sara Monsalve strives to ‘capture your memories’—to immortalise the beauty, innocence and wisdom of our pets.

JUMP FOR JOY

Photographer Rebecca Rinaldi knows that to capture a dog’s true essence, play is the key ingredient.

PLAY DATE

An antidote to mass-produced dog accessories, MiaCara’s range of carefully crafted toys are designed to surprise, endure and delight.

POODLE ELITE

Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).

TEAM EFFORT

What started as a fundraising effort to save photographer Kristoffer Paulsen’s beloved dog Josie, morphed into Melbourne’s most in-demand pet portraits.

Loading...
Loading more posts...