Shakespeare’s Ophelia, in all her misunderstood madness, has inspired countless artists, though perhaps none so famously as John Everett Millais, whose depiction of the character is currently on view at the Tate. It was this painting that first inspired Spanish photographer Gloria Oyarzabal to create her series Ophelia, which we recently spotted over at Fotographia. Oyarzabal says, “Ophelia for me symbolizes men’s oppression on women—this old and manipulative idea of romanticism towards women’s sense of tragedy and hysteria. So I picked up my old Mamiya and got into nature, to places where I could “smell” tension and took nude self-portraits in extreme surroundings.” The results are frightening and lovely. See part of the series below, and check out Fotographia for the rest of Oyarzabal’s interview and her website to see more of her work.
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal
Photo credit: Gloria Oyarzabal