photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Two: Travel Incongruities > Body Piercing Shop, Antwerp, Belgium, 2005
previous | next
15-JUN-2005

Body Piercing Shop, Antwerp, Belgium, 2005

Only a few blocks from the classical sculpture and voluptuous paintings at Antwerp's Rubens House, a body piercing shop attracts customers with its 21st century version of the human form. There are multiple incongruities in this image – the purple metallic body, the strange serpentine markings, the post bolting the head to the building, and the odd dance the figure manages to display under such distressing circumstances. Ultimately, this advertisement expresses little about body piercing. Rather, it seems to be incongruously suspended over the street to attract attention for its own sake. It certainly caught mine!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
1/400s f/4.0 at 21.8mm iso80 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Phil Douglis21-Jul-2006 04:46
You ask a good question, Emi. Why not a man? Or why not both a man and a woman? The store appeals to both genders. Body piercing knows no gender barriers I guess it comes down to tradition. It is OK for stores like to objectify a woman, but not a man. Its as simple as that. And yes, pain can be fun. And that, Emi, is incongruous to many of us.
Guest 21-Jul-2006 03:16
"Maybe this is all about pain as fun" - doesn't it show the incongruity of human acts?
And again I see the gender issue here. Actually most advertisements have this issue. Why don't they pick a man's image/figure?

Emi
Phil Douglis19-Jun-2006 22:24
Skewered, indeed.That is part of the incongruity to this image. Just one more piercing to endure, right? Thanks, Brian, for this observation.
Guest 19-Jun-2006 22:05
This striking image captured my attention... in the thumbnail view (or from a distance) the figure seems to be skewered by the silver pole behind her. This adds to the drama of the shot for me.

Wonderful.
Phil Douglis19-Oct-2005 23:01
You are suggesting various hypothetical compositional moves here that in my view would not significantly intensify the incongruous nature of this image. As for the composition of this image, I have placed every element exactly where I wanted them to be in order to accomplish my purpose of expression. I've made her stand on the bottom of the frame -- including the street in this image would have destroyed the incongruity of this position. Because she stands on the frame, she seems to incongruously come to life. If I had backed up, she would have acquired additional context making her appear to be more like a sign, instead of a metallic person incongruously hanging from this building. I deliberately placed her hand on the window frame to create linkage, again to make her seem less like a sign and more like a person.
Denny Crane 19-Oct-2005 19:04
There's no street in the picture, so I miss the incongruity of the shot. But showing the street wouldn't help anything. Move a slight bit back to bring the feet within the frame. Move a little to the left to bring her outstretched hand in front of the wall and away from where it is intersecting the white window frame. The low point of view tilts the windows unattractively but is good for the girl. The composition needs to be better.
Phil Douglis01-Oct-2005 21:45
Fascinating interpretation, Lisbeth. The pink color and naked body hanging out over the street is obviously intended to call attention to itself, just as piercing is supposed to do. Maybe this is all about pain as fun?
Lisbeth Landstrøm01-Oct-2005 20:21
It seems that she hangs on her own piercings - an absurd crucifixion. I never understood piercing. Maybe some way of showing distance to human boundaries - such as those given by pain? By the way pink is a bit screaming - or painful - in it self.
Phil Douglis02-Jul-2005 04:40
Hi, Hina,

The story behind the photo is right there in caption. I can't tell you anything more -- I was only a passerby. I did not patronize the shop. Holes in the nose, etc. are not my thing.
Guest 01-Jul-2005 22:35
Welcome back my Professor!!!!
I'll wait for your story behind this photo since you just uploaded this!
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment