Have you ever been in the situation where somebody told you they really liked your nose, or your neck or your hair and you thought: “WHAT? It’s the part I actually dislike most about my body.”
We have a certain perception of ourselves and our appearance. Influenced by our biography, our family and friends and also by the city we lived in. For example, I did not like my skin color until the day I moved to Berlin. While growing up in a city in the east of Germany, my skin tone was always standing out in a crowd. And most of the time not in a positive way. In Berlin on the other hand, strangers, friends, and lovers did not seem to mind my color. Not at all.
This perception of ourselves influences of course also the choice we make in the photography that should represent us. Especially in online dating, pics are the crucial part of storytelling. And even if you don’t want to upload pictures of yourself that look completely fake, you also want to show the best part(s) of you. Making the choice of the perfect picture always a bit tricky.
Friend and Berlin-based Turkish photographer Eylül Aslan was fascinated by how our picture selection for our online profiles is influenced by our self-image. For her book Trompe L’oeil she met over 40 men through Tinder and asked them what part of their body they liked and what they disliked most. After that, they had to ask her the same questions regarding her own body. The result of this social experiment is a book colored in all kinds of flesh and skin and full of physical intimacy between strangers. Read on…
by Claudio | Art, Books, Photos
photo: Eylül Aslan
I think I have never been more into the Christmas spirit this year than ever before. I don’t know what’s gotten into me but I have been obsession so much over my Christmas tree and spent hours decorating it and marveling at it. In fact I have 6 (!!!) more Christmas sprays all over my house so it’s totally like Santa’s liar here.
I always liked Christmas, even as an adult. Not because of the presents of course, but I love the atmosphere, buying a tree, coming up with new ways to decorate it each year, going to the Christmas markets with my family, getting together with friends for mulled wine, wrapping up gifts, the roasts (we always have multiple ones over the holidays not just one). It’s just so warm and sparkeling. It totally distracts us from the cold season and gives us a break from the daily grind in a way that no other holiday ever could. And this year it seems to be extra strong as I feel filled with so much joy, it’s practically bursting out of me: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
Read on…
by Frank | Music, Stories
In the times of Instragram everybody seems to call himself a photographer. Luckily, there are enough talented people out there proving that photography is more than taking a selfie with a vintage filter. One of these exceptional talents is the Turkish born and now Berlin-based Eylül Aslan. Her sensual, strangely provocative and unusual photos make you immerge into a twisted fairytale world. Rarely you will see the face of the photographed subject and more often your imagination is left with nothing more than a shadow or a silhouette as a fertile ground for your fantasy to run off. For a full immersion into her enigmatic world we are recommending to buy her recently published book “Trauerweide”. More photos from Eylül’s book after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Art
