Modern urban life drives an insidious notion that humans are apart from nature, rather than a part of nature. « It is a sad thing to think that nature speaks and the human species does not listen », Victor Hugo wrote. We live most of our lives parallel to the natural world; our interactions with it are limited and inorganic.

This perceptual divide is what drove me to explore a visual blend of human bodies and natural textures through the medium of analog double exposures. That there is beauty in human bodies and beauty in nature is nothing new. That a blend of the two expresses the beauty of both is maybe more unusual.

All of the images presented here were shot on analog cameras using the technique of double exposure. First, the textures were photographed in various natural spots and botanical gardens around Hong Kong. Later, the portraits of the models were shot in the studio in various locations in France, Belgium and Hong Kong. Apart from adjusting levels and an occasional cleaning of the white background behind certain models, these images have not been digitally retouched.

Ben Felten

Hong Kong, March 2021

現代城市生活衍生出一種暗藏的觀念：人類是獨立個體，而非自然界的一部分。我們大部分生活與自然世界平行；我們與它的互動既有限且無機。維克多·雨果（Victor Hugo）說過：「當聯想到大自然在說話時而人類卻充耳不聞是何等悲傷。」這種感知上的鴻溝驅使 Ben Felten 通過重複曝光來探索人體與大自然紋理的視覺融合。人體的美、自然的美，或許並不是甚麼新鮮事，但當兩者融合再衍生出新美學，這一切就變得非比尋常。隨著系列的發展，Felten意識到藍曬法(Cyanotype)是這項創作的最佳表達方式：這種最古老的照片顯影術，於1843年由植物學家Anna Atkins發明，運用光學與化學品結合的反應展現出大自然的紋理。這種通過陽光展示的顯影術，有如光合作用孕育著地球上的植物生命一樣，訴說著人類與大自然的共生關係。