Tom Callemin, APE #41 – Tom Callemin, 2014

Twelve enigmatic images comprise this series by Belgian photographer Tom Callemin. The subjects – people, nudes, ruined houses, trees, metal objects – are pinned against a deep black background, caught in the flashbulb’s glare in a stark and confrontational moment. We are forced to wonder about the underlying histories of the various abandoned structures, or why the man and young girl flinch before the camera’s gaze, their hands raised in front of their faces. The female nudes stand like statues, eyes averted or closed, seemingly reluctant to engage their observer, and the trees appear misshapen, adding to the overall haunted aura of Callemin’s photography.