SPANNENBURG.ARTart that matters
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A nude figure in a protective fetal position at night, illuminated by a spotlight in a dark forest; a photographic metaphor for being overwhelmed by emotion.

More from the series

THE STANDALONE MASTERPIECES →
Fine art photograph by Arjan Spannenburg titled 'Kiss Goodbye,' featuring a vulnerable shirtless man reclining on a dark wooden cabinet beside a bouquet of red roses, symbolizing the numbing pain and exposure of lost love against a dramatic black backdrop.The artwork SEGREGATION; A high-contrast black and white fine art photograph of a person holding a wooden crucifix against their bare chest.A serene black and white fine art photograph of a figure standing in water next to a cliff side, exploring themes of nature and vulnerability.Fine art black and white portrait titled 'The Observer' by Arjan Spannenburg. A young man in a black turtleneck stares intently at the viewer with clasped hands. Winner of the FEP Awards 2019 Merit in Portraiture.Award-winning black and white photograph of a male dancer performing a leap over a black SUV on a busy New York City street.A high-contrast black and white artwork titled Sentient featuring a person in a concrete architectural structure.
Arjan Spannenburg

INUNDATE

""INUNDATE" is a hauntingly beautiful study of the human condition. It captures that precise moment when the weight of our inner world mirrors the vastness of the outer world."

The Narrative

Finding Light Within the Flood of Emotion

To createINUNDATE, Spannenburg ventured into the forest long after the sun had set, carrying the tools of a professional studio into the unpredictable wilderness. By manually positioning portable studio flashes, he carefully "painted" the scene with light.

This deliberate technique allows the woods to emerge from the darkness with surgical precision. The flash doesn't just illuminate; it isolates. It carves the model and the surrounding pines out of the void, creating a hyper-real stage where the boundary between the "natural" and the "staged" disappears.

The Metaphor: To Drown Without Water

The titleINUNDATEspeaks to the universal experience of being overwhelmed. Sometimes, emotions don't just pass through us; they submerge us.

We all face moments where we feel we are drowning in our own emotions. Like a sudden flood, they can leave us feeling exposed and small against the backdrop of our lives. -Arjan Spannenburg

In this image, the model’s posture, curled and protective, represents the sanctuary we seek when the "flood" hits. The forest serves as a metaphor for the subconscious: dense, shadowy, and occasionally illuminating.

Visual Analysis

He ara whānui, āhua kiriata tēnei whakaahua e whakamahi ana i te tenebrism ki te wehe i te āhua tangata i roto i te whenua tuatahi. E noho ana tētahi tangata kiri mā i te tahanga, i te āhua puku i roto i tētahi tūranga tiaki, āhua kukū, kei waenganui o te āhua poutū o tētahi ngahere pouri. Ko te kaupapa kei te kōruru mai i te pō mai i te whakamahinga koi, whakatau o te uira taiwhanga kawe, e whakanui ana i ngā kōrero o te kiri ki te anga kikī o ngā paina. Ko tēnei mārama "peita" hei parepare metaphorical, e whakamarama ana i tētahi wā o te whakakitenga hinengaro. Ahakoa iti te tangata ki te taha o te papamuri matomato, atarangi o ngā ngahere hinengaro, kua huri te papa ngahere teitei ki tētahi wāhi whare herehere i reira ka kitea te "rere" o roto o te kare-ā-roto, ka puta hei aroaro kitea, ngāwari.

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Year

2019

Genres

ColorComing of AgeMasculine VulnerabilityMale nudePortraitureMental Health