Annegret Soltau, Selbst #16 © Annegret Soltau / Galerie Anita Beckers This is a black and white photograph of a young woman's face, overlaid with a geometric pattern. The image is a close-up portrait of a young woman from the shoulders up, with her eyes closed and her head facing directly forward. Her hair is dark and styled with bangs that fall just above her eyebrows. The background is a plain, light gray, creating a stark contrast with the subject. The photograph is in black and white, with a high level of detail, particularly in the rendering of skin texture and hair strands. The most striking element of the photograph is the web of threads that covers the woman's nose and mouth area. These threads look like sharp, angular lines that create a faceted, mask-like effect. The lines are thin and black, suggesting they have been drawn or digitally added onto the photograph. The geometric patterns appear to follow the contours of her face but also distort and fragment it. Some lines are precise and straight, while others are curved, creating a complex and abstract pattern across her lower face. The woman's expression is serene due to her closed eyes, yet the geometric overlay introduces a sense of complexity, artistry, or even confinement, depending on interpretation. Her lips are slightly parted, visible beneath the lines. She is wearing a dark, possibly black, crew-neck top, which further emphasizes the brightness of her skin and the starkness of the background. The overall atmosphere of the image could be described as enigmatic, artistic, and introspective. The clean lighting and studio-like setting contribute to a feeling of deliberate composition and artistic intent.
One of PiE’s Exhibition Spotlight of the Week!
Discover the distinctive, radically feminist #photography and body art of Annegret Soltau in her exhibition “Uncensored. A Retrospective”on display at Francisco Carolinum in #Linz, Austria until June 21, 2026.
☞ www.photographyineurope.com/spotlights/
