Reflections: South African Photographer Koto Bolofo Intrigues Me With Numéro #160 'Atelier D'Artiste'

Aneta Pajak In Atelier D’Artiste By Koto Bolofo For Numéro #160 February 2015

Visual cues run wild in these images: is Aneta exploring a gender-neutral, artistic studio or is she in the fashion-predictable studio of a male artist? Is she the prototypical muse of the male mind? What is the significance of a large — presumably male — hand at her throat and in her face? How has this male artistic vision — and the powerful art world institutions behind it — defined Aneta and millions — no billions — of female identities worldwide and for the last 3000 years?

There are no answers in ‘Atelier D’Artiste’, a Numéro #160 February 2015 fashion editorial that may be nothing more than a celebration of the male mind and fashion’s support for traditional gender-based power relationships. This isn’t how these images strike me, however.

Do I share a vibe with photographer Koto Bolofo? Rest assured that I will answer that question for myself and AOC readers. ~ Anne