Mitchell’s fantastic photography exhibits in Deland
Kirsty Mitchell’s “Wonderland” is a beautiful paradox — happy, sad; enchanting, creepy; bright, dark; natural, otherworldly; peaceful, chaotic; celebratory, mournful. At the very least, its captivating complexity draws the viewer much further than the first glance. It’s like stepping into a fairy tale world, except the fairy tale isn’t a Disney-like happily ever after. The story goes far deeper than that.
The White Queen is the first character in British artist Kirsty Mitchell’s cast to greet viewers of the “Wonderland” exhibit, on display at the Museum of Art — Deland. The pale, ghostly figure is heavily based upon Queen Elizabeth I. Her face — framed by a tall collar of sharp, yet delicate, white fans — stares with pale blue eyes that somehow look both intense and emotionless.
“One thing people have said is ( the exhibit) isn’t pretty, it’s creepy or dark,” said Pam Coffman, education curator at the museum and a knowledgeable guide through the exhibit. “But (Mitchell) said that if people thought it was pretty, she failed.”
Mitchell created the “Wonderland” project in memory of her mother, who passed away from cancer in 2008. Overcome with grief, Mitchell discovered photography as an escape. Yet, it was through photography, and the “Wonderland” project in particular, that Mitchell was eventually able to confront her pain and embark on a journey to heal.
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Although “Wonderland” doesn’t follow a story line, it illustrates Mitchell’s journey using repeated elements and themes.
The cast of characters includes Mitchell’s alter-ego, whom she calls Katie, which takes several forms. She’s often seen wearing an elaborate cloak of flowers and leaves. The alter-ego represents the person Mitchell was through the process of healing.
Images of scripture and books symbolise some of Mitchell’s most vivid memories, when her mother, an English teacher for more than 30 years, would read her fairy tales. She drew some inspiration from books, including “The Kingdom Under the Sea,” “Moonlight and Fairyland,” “The Snow Queen” and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” which her mother read to her.
“My earliest memories were always of the stories read to me by my mother as a child... how it felt to be curled into her side, listening to the rush of her breath as she paused for effect, before launching into yet another character’s voice,” reads the personal statement on Mitchell’s website. Mitchell, who’s currently working in Europe, said in an email to the News-journal that she wasn’t available for an interview due to her work schedule.
A former fashion designer who worked under both Alexander Mcqueen and Hussein Chalayan, Mitchell created all of the costumes and pieces herself. She’s also the person behind the camera for every shot.
“She’s adamant that she’s not a photographer, she’s an artist with a camera,” Coffman said. “The camera just happened to be the tool.”
It took Mitchell nearly six years to create “Wonderland,” mostly because “she’s very much of a control freak,” Coffman said. Hair and make-up artist Elbie Van Eeden helped bring her visions to life, but otherwise, everything is solely Mitchell’s creation. She finished the project in November 2014.
Mitchell is extremely dedicated to getting every part of the scene just right. It took her over five months to make some of the costumes.
Flowers and nature were an important part of the project. The scenes were set up in the wilderness of her childhood home in rural England.
“She could feel her mother the most when she was outside in nature,” Coffman said.
Mitchell waited a full year for certain flowers to bloom. She waited months for the right seasons to arrive.
In the photo “Gaia, the Birth of an End,” it’s hard to believe the show-stopping, ornate yellow costume and the model wearing it are real. It looks Photoshopped, although Mitchell is “adamant” the editing software wasn’t used for any of the photos, Coffman said. Everything is a real part of the set.