Valérie Belin’s project “Black Eyed Susan” combines photographic portraits of models with images of bouquets. The selective colour palettes and 1950s styling add to an unsettling feel of illusion and artifice. 

Valérie Belin’s project “Black Eyed Susan” combines photographic portraits of models with images of bouquets. The selective colour palettes and 1950s styling add to an unsettling feel of illusion and artifice. 

French artist Carole Brémaud’s paintings intrigue me - they feature men in formal attire with their faces mysteriously distorted or even absent. 

French artist Carole Brémaud’s paintings intrigue me - they feature men in formal attire with their faces mysteriously distorted or even absent. 

I visited BALTIC last week and was delighted to see Maurizio Anzeri’s work on display. He embroiders 1930s photographic portraits with abstract designs that obscure the face, serving to both hide and emphasise certain features. I love the idea of adding layers to existing images to transform them both visually and symbolically. The exhibition continues until 2nd October 2011.

I visited BALTIC last week and was delighted to see Maurizio Anzeri’s work on display. He embroiders 1930s photographic portraits with abstract designs that obscure the face, serving to both hide and emphasise certain features. I love the idea of adding layers to existing images to transform them both visually and symbolically.

The exhibition continues until 2nd October 2011.

Guim Tió Zarraluki’s portraits are both delightful and peculiar. He appears to paint them directly over the pages of magazines, altering the features and using colours in a way that makes them all the more captivating.

Guim Tió Zarraluki’s portraits are both delightful and peculiar. He appears to paint them directly over the pages of magazines, altering the features and using colours in a way that makes them all the more captivating.