Steven Meisel Oil & Water Vogue August 2010The August issue of Vogue Italia features a series of images by photographer Steven Meisel showcasing the devastation and impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Model Kristen McMenamy plays the protagonist in Stevens work. Dressed in black feathers or slick skin attire and shot splayed over jagged rocks and chocking on black sludge, Kristen simulates the suffering of the victims of the spill, raising emotions and unsettling her audience.
I believe the use of Kristen is important, because it connects us to the images more successfully. As a species, we're inclined to view one of our own kind in distress as being more devastating than that of another species and so the use of Kristen is used to drive home the emotion behind the images and adds to the success of Stevens work.
