a married couple
photographer duo tom and denelle ellis take a satirical look at wedded bliss.
Hello! Tell us a bit about yourselves, please. Denelle Ellis: I studied fine art photography in Ontario, Canada, then moved to London to continue my thesis work on selfies. Three years later, I moved to the East End and met Tom on the train home from work one night. We hit it off instantly and realised we had a lot of the same goals (Tom is also a trained photographer). We got married after six months and converted our warehouse into Peanut Factory Studio – a daylight photographic studio.
What is amarriedcouple all about? Tom Ellis: amarriedcouple is our response to the pressures and tropes we were subjected to after getting married. Denelle has endometriosis, and being diagnosed and receiving treatment was a difficult chapter in our relationship. She had her first surgery only three months after getting home from our honeymoon. It was heartbreaking being told we wouldn’t be able to have children just as we were starting our life together. DE: I’d always used self-portraiture to explore different themes in my personal life, almost like therapy. So, it only felt natural to begin photographing this together, as well. The project pushed us to make light of our situation – the idea of a cisgender, white, hetero couple being happily married, but something feels wrong under that perfect surface. We’re exploring gender and the performativity inherent to these roles.
What is your creative inspiration? TE: We aim to blur the lines between fiction and reality – many of the situations are based off real-life scenarios from our honeymoon. The first image we made was the bathtub scene, which referenced our bedroom in Mexico that had a jacuzzi. We ordered a lot of room service, which ended up smashing all around us when we were surprised by a knock at the door. The characters are essentially us in drag.
Why did you choose to set your work in the ’70s? DE: The ’60s and ’70s were a time of huge change and innovation. Reproductive health changed forever and a feeling of revolution was in the air – quite similar to today's generation, with wars that nobody wanted building suspicions about governments and inspiring riots.
Where are all the amazing locations for this series? TE: We’ve built quite a few in our studio, inspired by trips we’ve taken. But others are from when we’re travelling for work or to see family. We love scaring the locals in our wigs and things! Zephyrhills in Florida is where Denelle’s grandparents spend their winters, and we love how wonderfully kitsch it is there.
You work exclusively in analog photography – why have you
chosen that approach? DE: We love the tangibility of working on film. Also, because the cost per shot is so high, it forces you to slow down and really push each frame to a new level, thinking more about what you’re doing. We were both trained in analog, and feel a certain responsibility as photographers to keep the medium alive for future generations. There’s also a special aura around a Polaroid or handmade print – what you see is what we did on the day, and what we pictured in our minds is right there on the negative.
How do you work together to create these images? TE: There’s a lot of pre-planning that goes into it. We have different strengths that complement each other, and work with a talented team, including a set designer, make-up artist, hair and wig stylist, and prop-finder. We spend a lot of time storyboarding and planning each shot so we can be as prepared as possible on the day when we’re using the self-timer. That way, we don't have to suffer in the costumes for too long!
Your work has a lot of humour in it – how important is that to
you? DE: Very, especially as we began working together in this way as a response to all the problems we experienced at the start of our marriage. Taking painful memories and turning them into these funny tableaux was really empowering and transformative for us. Farce is a great vessel for darker subject matter.
Where can we see more of your stuff? denelleandtom.com or on Instagram at @amarriedcouple.