克莱尔‧史特兰德生于1973年,就读于布莱顿大学及伦敦皇家艺术学院,现于布莱顿生活和工作。
史特兰德认为自己并没有特定的摄影风格,倾向因应拍摄对象而作决定。虽然史特兰德在拍摄前会一丝不苟地研究筹备,但作品最终可能带点暧昧含糊的结果,以保留空间让观者深思。作品中首要考虑的是构思和期望,美学元素反倒成为次要。
1997年,史特兰德制作了一系列肖像照,取名《点和全》。作品中,她让一群长相平凡青涩的少女在红色天鹅绒幕前拍照。其中部份,五名年纪由十二到十四岁不等的少女打扮成1990年代风靡全球的偶像组合辣妹成员,绰号分别为「华丽」、「吓人」、「宝贝」、「活力」以及「运动」,并要她们表现辣妹的精髓—「女子力量」。虽然某几个女孩显得相当有自信,能较有效地诠释模仿对象,但有些却未能表现典型的女性气质。通过这些作品,史特兰德传达的讯息是当人们预视这些女孩的将来时,他们多是以貌取人,而不是凭其性格或个性来衡量。
史特兰德作品曾在英国及海外多处展出,包括于摄影博物馆(德国,2009);摄影之家(瑞典,2008);及伦敦传播学院(2003)举行的个展。
Clare Strand was born in 1973. She studied at University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art in London. She lives and works in Brighton.
Strand confesses to not have a single photographic style, preferring to respond directly to her subject. While her research and planning is meticulous, the final outcome can be somewhat vague. She prefers leaving room for reflection. The aesthetics of the piece come second to the formulations and generic expectations.
In 1997, Strand produced a series of portraits entitled Spots and All, which featured average, awkward looking teenage girls posing in front of a red velvet curtain. As part of this series, Strand included the portraits of five young girls posing as the iconic girl band the Spice Girls, which gained worldwide notoriety in the 1990s. Aged between twelve and fourteen, each girl takes on the persona of one of the five band members, namely Posh, Scary, Baby, Ginger and Sporty, and tries to embody the ‘Girl Power’ ethos that became the essence of the group. Some of the girls appear to be unable to quite fulfil the stereotypical femininity required, while others appear much more confident in presenting their alter ego. Strand tries to highlight how the viewer’s attitude towards the girls’ futures is predetermined by beauty rather than personality or individuality.
Strand has exhibited both in the UK and extensively overseas including recent solo exhibitions at Museum Fur Photograhie, Germany, 2009; Fotografins Hus, Sweden, 2008 and the London College of Communication, 2003.