The Marionette (Emmalee Rathsam)
Emmalee Rathsam
The Marionette
35.5” x 29.5”
Giclée Print on Fine Art Paper
$3000
Just as a marionettist works to bring its subject to life, a photographer works tirelessly to breathe life into their concept. Manipulating the strings of light, pose, expression, wardrobe, makeup, composition, and retouching to create their masterpiece. Just as the artist requires a trained eye and skilled hands, the final result seeks a delicate balance of self-expression between power, performance and control. The duality of roles—master and subject—poses the question, “Who truly holds the strings?”
Art comes framed
Artist Statement:
My self-portraiture is an art form that seeks to identify the intersection between surrealism and photography to create dreamlike imagery, blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination. What appears as a flawless photograph requires countless captures and hours of editing; a journey of transformation that takes practice and patience. Digitally manipulating the image with a trained eye and a meticulous hand translates the visual narrative into reality on paper. Staying true to traditional editing techniques and deliberately avoiding AI-generated elements, I maintain full artistic control. My work aims to challenge perceptions, evoke curiosity, and spark dialogue.
Emmalee Rathsam
The Marionette
35.5” x 29.5”
Giclée Print on Fine Art Paper
$3000
Just as a marionettist works to bring its subject to life, a photographer works tirelessly to breathe life into their concept. Manipulating the strings of light, pose, expression, wardrobe, makeup, composition, and retouching to create their masterpiece. Just as the artist requires a trained eye and skilled hands, the final result seeks a delicate balance of self-expression between power, performance and control. The duality of roles—master and subject—poses the question, “Who truly holds the strings?”
Art comes framed
Artist Statement:
My self-portraiture is an art form that seeks to identify the intersection between surrealism and photography to create dreamlike imagery, blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination. What appears as a flawless photograph requires countless captures and hours of editing; a journey of transformation that takes practice and patience. Digitally manipulating the image with a trained eye and a meticulous hand translates the visual narrative into reality on paper. Staying true to traditional editing techniques and deliberately avoiding AI-generated elements, I maintain full artistic control. My work aims to challenge perceptions, evoke curiosity, and spark dialogue.
Emmalee Rathsam
The Marionette
35.5” x 29.5”
Giclée Print on Fine Art Paper
$3000
Just as a marionettist works to bring its subject to life, a photographer works tirelessly to breathe life into their concept. Manipulating the strings of light, pose, expression, wardrobe, makeup, composition, and retouching to create their masterpiece. Just as the artist requires a trained eye and skilled hands, the final result seeks a delicate balance of self-expression between power, performance and control. The duality of roles—master and subject—poses the question, “Who truly holds the strings?”
Art comes framed
Artist Statement:
My self-portraiture is an art form that seeks to identify the intersection between surrealism and photography to create dreamlike imagery, blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination. What appears as a flawless photograph requires countless captures and hours of editing; a journey of transformation that takes practice and patience. Digitally manipulating the image with a trained eye and a meticulous hand translates the visual narrative into reality on paper. Staying true to traditional editing techniques and deliberately avoiding AI-generated elements, I maintain full artistic control. My work aims to challenge perceptions, evoke curiosity, and spark dialogue.