Bettina von Zwehl

No 3 from Profiles III, 2005-2006

Bettina von Zwehl catches her subjects in the midst of an experience, whether involved in an everyday activity, at a moment when they have been exposed to natural forces, or in the instant of posing in a particular way. These constraints expose something subtle and unexpected in the sitters. Masks of social presentation are dropped, along with the clichés of portraiture, and we are invited to look at the human form afresh.

This work is one of a series of six portraits of babies and an accompanying video piece made in response to the artist's experiences and observations as a new mother.