Whether it’s the bright flash of a flashy emergency light, the dark stain of spilled wine on a white shirt, or the lipstick imprint left on a cheek by a partner, the shade of red can conjure up a spectrum of sentiments. While color psychology is often clear-cut—blue signifies sadness, green symbolizes envy—there’s scarcely a hue as contradictory as red. The extensive connections of red inspire a fresh beauty shoot crafted by photographer Ana Marti and make-up artist Simone Gammino.
Through these visuals, the duo illustrates a narrative of human experience. Featuring crimson beauty concepts, the narrative oscillates between various conditions: the ephemeral and the fleshly, the primal and the ethereal. Within the shoot, the makeup is deliberately smudged, with red strokes adorning lips and faces, reflecting how ink seeps into paper or blood disperses in water. Marti and Gammino strive to depict the dynamic cycle of emotions encompassing the human journey, solely through the application of one color.
What was the purpose of incorporating smeared and smudged makeup styles in the shoot?
Simone Gammino: The aim is to invoke something vibrant and organic, perpetually shifting, originating from the essence and spirit of the subject. The variable changes in emotions, akin to the tears flowing or blood circulating in the veins, embody concepts of humanity in constant flux and movement. Hence, the intention is to visually depict a human imprint, delicately transformable, straddling the physical and spiritual realms.
What other beauty inspirations or influences did you incorporate?
Ana Marti: We began with inspirations drawn from paintings, flowers, and various objects… All these references shared a common focus on the hue red. Additionally, the imagery was impactful yet simultaneously very diffuse.
Simone Gammino: My principal influences for this venture were artists I profoundly admire, particularly Francis Bacon, Marlene Dumas, and Mark Rothko. This project also continues, in the form of makeup, a personal painting initiative I embarked upon more than a decade ago.
How has color been utilized throughout the visuals?
Ana Marti: Red emerges as the hue that captures attention during the shoot. It stands as the focal element and carries intensity and significance. The remaining colors mingle around it. Through expansive exposure and soft focus, we encountered additional colors and textures that guide us towards a more ethereal beauty.
Simone Gammino: Color is applied sparingly: merely a handful of vital tones, particularly in the classic trio of red, white, and black. Red undeniably takes center stage in this narrative, illustrated through diverse styles of lines, methodologies, and textures. Subtle watercolor strokes create floral motifs that intersperse with geometric components and precise airbrushed gradients, merging fluid textures with more traditional beauty features.
What message did you intend to convey through this shoot as a whole?
Ana Marti: To me, the essential goal is for viewers to genuinely feel something upon seeing the image. I desire them to move beyond mere observation to evoke emotions. Tranquility, optimism, and dreams, alongside carnal themes and violence, resonate most significantly for me in this project. Additionally, we aimed to express that painterly sensation reflective of our initial inspirations.
Simone Gammino: In a nutshell, the objective was to convey fluctuating and dynamic emotions utilizing just a single hue. An imprint, a fleeting mark left by human emotion.
Photography by Ana Marti, make-up by Simone Gammino, casting by Sebastien Hernandez, featuring Zofia Meyer signed at @whynotmodels and J MOON represented at @thelabmodels.