In contrast to the lavishly disturbing depictions in his movies, Yorgos Lanthimos' photographs exhibit a tranquil, aesthetic charm.
In the heart of Los Angeles, the Webber Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition titled "Yorgos Lanthimos: Photographs," a collaboration with Mack. This unique showcase presents photographs taken during the filming of Yorgos Lanthimos' recent productions, including "Kinds of Kindness" (2024) and "Poor Things" (2023).
The photographs showcase the director's signature style, with images of abandoned cityscapes and interiors that embody his unsettling atmospheres and eerie tensions. These in-between environments serve as a visual exploration of moments when narrative flow halts, emphasizing an uneasy tension between presence and absence, reality and artifice.
In "Kinds of Kindness," Lanthimos' photography focuses on in-between spaces and detritus left after storytelling. These images, drawn from both authentic locations and meticulously recreated interiors used in his films, capture liminal spaces that highlight ambiguity, stillness, and a haunting sense of absence or pause. This reflects Lanthimos' broader artistic investigation into spaces that feel both familiar and alien, transforming everyday settings into enigmatic, contemplative tableaux that blur the lines between film production and standalone photographic art.
Meanwhile, the photographs from "Poor Things" depict the making of Bella's universe, with images of limp legs, limbs, and obscured faces channeling Kubrick's penchant for the eerie, using bodies as objects suspended between life and artifice. Lanthimos shot on a studio lot, using painted backdrops to stand in for sky and horizon, creating four vast, Escher-esque sets in Budapest to depict London and Lisbon.
The exhibition invites viewers to sit with the strangeness of these images, to contemplate the aftermath of storytelling and the melancholy of a half-built dream. Lanthimos' photography in "Kinds of Kindness" strips deception bare, inviting viewers to consider the themes of brainwashing sex cults, murder, rape, domestic violence, and cannibalism that permeate the film.
The "Yorgos Lanthimos: Photographs" exhibition runs from 29 March until 24 May 2025 at Webber Gallery LA. For those interested in Lanthimos' work, the book "i shall sing these songs beautifully," featuring the photographs from the exhibition, is available for purchase from mackbooks.co.uk.
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[1] The Guardian. (2023, October 20). Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Poor Things' review – a delirious, dreamlike drama of obsession. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/20/yorgos-lanthimos-poor-things-review-a-delirious-dreamlike-drama-of-obsession
[2] IndieWire. (2024, March 16). 'Kinds of Kindness' Review: Yorgos Lanthimos' Latest Is a Disturbing and Provocative Meditation on Power. Retrieved from https://www.indiewire.com/2024/03/kinds-of-kindness-review-yorgos-lanthimos-1234768601/
At the Webber Gallery in Los Angeles, the "Yorgos Lanthimos: Photographs" exhibition showcases a blend of movies and TV entertainment, featuring photos from Lanthimos' recent productions such as "Kinds of Kindness" and "Poor Things."
Lanthimos' photography in both films captures intriguing in-between spaces, offering a peek into his signature style that echoes eerie tensions and unsettling atmospheres.