Silence by Natasja Tollenaar

About "Silence"

by Natasja Tollenaar

About the artwork

This black-and-white photograph shows a close-up portrait of a person with dramatic face and body paint. Here are some of the key elements:

Subject: The central focus is a person who appears to be looking directly into the camera. Their face and upper body are covered in striking, abstract patterns painted in contrasting black and white.
Face paint: The face paint is intricate and covers the entire face, including the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth and chin. The patterns are a mix of thick lines, dots and geometric shapes, creating a mask-like effect. The paint extends to the neck and onto the shoulders and arms.
Expression: The heavy face paint makes it difficult to discern a specific facial expression. However, the eyes are visible and appear to be looking intently at the viewer.
Body paint: The body paint continues the abstract theme, with striking lines and shapes covering the visible parts of the upper body and arms. The patterns on the body seem to complement the design on the face.
Hair: The person has dark, slightly messy hair pulled back or up, making the face paint fully visible.
Background: The background is blurred but appears to have a lighter tone, possibly a wall or other painted surface with similar abstract designs, creating a sense of immersion in the artistic style.
Artistic style: The overall style of the photo is artistic and expressive, probably part of a performance, photo shoot or personal artistic expression. The high contrast in black and white emphasises the graphic nature of the body paint.
In summary, the image is a striking black and white portrait of a person decorated with striking and abstract black and white face and body paint, creating a visually captivating and somewhat theatrical effect.
Photo courtesy of SMb Photographie