New Talent: Photographer Alexandra Von Fuerst
In the latest in our series uncovering creative talent on Facebook and Instagram, we speak to photographer Alexandra Von Fuerst, whose striking images aim to capture the beauty of the female form
Alexandra Von Fuerst is fascinated with the female body. Her Instagram Feed is filled with close ups of lips and eyes and other body parts – such as bare legs wrapped in brightly coloured stockings or fishnet tights.
“Female sexuality is very important to me. It is natural and appealing as a woman to express the beauty of it in every form,” she explains.
Her images focus on the details and quirks that make us human – the hairs and freckles and fine lines – but there’s also a surreal element to her work. She likes to combine natural and artificial elements (lips are coated in red gloss or eyelashes in mascara) and her subjects are often arranged in unusual poses.
These striking compositions reflect Von Fuerst’s interest in fine art and sculpture. She counts American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe among her inspirations and also looks to contemporary performance art and paintings.
Materials and textures are another key focus in her work. Images on Von Fuerst’s Instagram feed hone in on the intricate patterns found in bark, fungi, slate, leather and cracked earth.
“I feel very attracted [to] the imperfect detail of perfect nature, by the curious combinations of reality,” she explains.
Von Fuerst grew up in Italy and Australia and moved to London after studying photography at university. She majored in fashion and says working with fashion magazines such as Vogue Italia has given her a keen understanding of the importance of each element in a photograph.
“Fashion teaches me to be very careful in my choices,” she says. “Each detail is fundamental, from the hair to the posing,” she adds.
She recently worked on a series exploring sexual fetishes for erotic publication Odiseo and has also shot images for Metal and Vulture magazines. Alongside this she continues to work on personal projects exploring space, the body and the female form.
New Talent is part of Inspire, a year-long partnership between Creative Review, Facebook and Instagram showcasing outstanding creative work across both platforms. More advice and inspiration for creatives using Facebook and Instagram is available at www.facebook.com/ads/creativehub. You can see more of Alexandra Von Fuerst’s work at alexandravonfuerst.com or follow her on Instagram (@alexandravonfuerst).