People do all sorts of things to make their Instagram profiles stand out. Given the rise of bloggers and influencers selfies, flat lays and planned candids or plandids are the ‘hot stuff’ on social media today. Each photograph is an artists’ creative take on life as they know it. This particular woman does that by posing like a corpse with her face down in front of popular landmarks and calls them “anti-selfies” and “a celebration of life”. Say what, now?
Presenting STEFDIES, a photographic performance art series that chronicles a life…by playing dead. In these photographs, which the London-based artist calls “anti-selfie”, Stef portrays herself to be dead, hence, Stefdies. As told by her on her website, “The series provokes discussion on mortality, the function of photography, and stirs the imagination. Nothing is premeditated or prepared in these photographs, the shot is captured in the moment as it occurs.” Well, stirs the imagination, alright!
Here are some of her anti-selfies that will make you say: WTF did I just see?!
1. STEFDIES after paragliding (London)
2. STEFDIES while hiking (Cueva Grande, Spain) ![2-stefdies-cliffs]()
3. STEFDIES outside a church (Monopoli Cathedral, Italy) ![3-stefdies-church]()
4. STEFDIES on a beach (Amalfi Coast, Italy)
5. STEFDIES on a lighthouse (Lake Como, Italy)
6. STEFDIES on cliffs (Sardinia, Italy)
7. STEFDIES in a river trail (Denver, Colorado)
8. STEFDIES at a doughnut shop (Dum Dum Doughnuts, London)
9. STEFDIES at/during a marathon (Paris, France)
10. STEFIDES in front of Eiffel Tour (Paris, France)
11. STEFDIES in a fountain (Corsica, France)
12. STEFDIES at a zoo petting park (San Diego, California)
13. STEFDIES in Rome (Italy)
14. STEFDIES on rocks (Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco)
15. STEFDIES on the side of the road (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
“I (the artist) go about my normal day, and if there happens to be a moment or a place I happen to find particularly provoking, I will take a STEFDIES photo. That is the beauty of this series, each photo is just a blip in a day. Nothing less, nothing more. It is the truest sense of what I believe photographs should be- tangible physical proof that “I was here”,” says the artist speaking about her photo series. “STEFDIES is a celebration of life”, to quote her.
Imagine yourself at one of these locations to find a person laying like that. What would be your first reaction? Horror? A great deal of hysteria? Maybe a life-long scar to have witnessed something, someone like this? How are these “anti-selfies” proving the point the artist intends to make?
The woman wants to capture the moments but is also against selfies, so she just poses like a corpse with her face down to show that she was there. Well, that makes all the sense. Hallelujah!
Images: Instagram
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