Mario Sorrenti, B. 1971

Private Collection, London

Martin Harrison (ed.), Fashion Faces Up: Photographs & Essays from the Fashion World, Berlin 2000, illustrated, no page

There is undulation to the sheet throughout. There is a few specks of dust adhering to the surface between the work and the plexiglass in places throughout. This work is in good condition. Examined out of frame.
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A stately home is the setting for Mario Sorrenti's dark and troubling narrative. In grand surroundings that suggest wealth, education and a love for art, a woman lies in disarray on the floor with her face hidden from view.

At first sight the image could be a scene from a Dutch Genre painting. However, whereas this type of painting would offer conclusive moral tales, Sorrenti subverts the genre by staging an open ended scene, encouraging the disconcerted viewer to anticipate the cause of the subject's misfortune and her fate hereafter.

Counted among the key artists of staged photography, such as Jeff Wall and Gregory Crewdson, Sorrenti puts meticulous effort into each image. The present work is a striking example of Mario Sorrenti's technical mastery of light and shadow. Whereas piercing light mercilessly explores every detail of the woman, the pitch black areas by the piano and behind her only serves to increase the sense of peril and uncertainty.