Raúl Eduardo Stolkiner: Conatus, Past and Present, Art and Photography

Last week's feature on Carl Warner's Foodscapes and Klaus Enrique Gerdes' recreations of Arcimboldo's portraits both show just how much photography is inspired by art. With the theme of art and photography being so popular, it's only natural that the Reel Foto blog should continue to feature photographers and artists with the same passion. Artist Raúl Eduardo Stolkiner, popularly known as RES, fits the bill perfectly.

The catalog of Raúl Eduardo Stolkiner or RES, whichever name you prefer, begins with simple observations and documentations, which is something any good photographer would do. His later works see a transformation with more of his original creations that are grounded on things that have already transpired around him.

One of his projects, Conatus, is an excellent example of a art series that is rooted in the artistic masterpieces of the old masters while at the same time introduces modern nuances that both retain yet enhance the original theme of the artworks. The name Conatus therefore is very well applied as the word carries the thought of transformation and enhancement.

Conatus was supposed to be a one-off with fellow photographer Constanza Piaggio who is in fact the model for most of these images. They were intent on making Crista, a reimagining of Velázquez's Christ Crucified which you can see below. After their first collaboration in 2004, they continued to create other works of art patterned after iconic paintings.

Their continued partnership produced these carefully created photographs which serve as an "enquiry into the present and certain assumptions implicit in photography, such as Renaissance perspective, the history of the pose, and what might be termed 'the pictorial unconscious'."

Among RES' recreations include Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with Ermine, Pablo Picasso's Garçon à la pipe, Piero della Francesca's Double Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes, and Diego Velázquez's Cristo Crucifado, to name just a few.

RES' is fairly accurate in his own versions of the masterpieces, save for a few accidentals which add to the meaning of the artworks without overshadowing their original intent. For anyone who doesn't want to bother with all of the philosophical gobbledygook behind these images, they can still enjoy the resulting photographs' natural beauty and quality.

More of the photography of Raúl Eduardo Stolkiner or RAS can be found on his website. There are other photographs in the Conatus series that can be viewed on Constanza Piaggo's website. RES' photography is collected in the book, RES: The Useless Truth.