ENTRY DESCRIPTION
In the fall, trees lose their insect-gnawed leaves. Contorted by the summer sun, they inspired this series of photographs of fantastic insects, animals and demons. This collection of curiosities is a journey into the bizarre — in which pareidolia, and its optical illusions, produce phantasmagorical imagery and hidden messages.
Surrealist theory is an underlying theme in my photography. I am attracted to the wonderful and the strange, in nature, man, objects, situations and art. I highlight the extraordinary and the unsettling, as a path to transcending reality. Strangeness, in our environment, as in art, sparks strong feelings of discomfort, anxiety, fascination or wonder. Peculiar details, unusual beauty, surprising relationships between objects and shapes, and quirky situations are fundamental characteristics of my work. These moments and elements awaken our unconscious. I store these treasures in a personal cabinet of curiosities, whose collection helps me understand the world and penetrate the mysteries of the unconscious.
I frequently work in diptych format, and layer imagery to create what the Surrealist, André Breton, called "neglected connections”. These unexpected associations, morph objective reality into subjective reality, challenging the viewer's imagination and beliefs.

AUTHOR
Emmanuelle Becker is an artist-photographer living in Paris. She studied photography and printmaking at the George Washington University in Washington, DC., graduating with honors and pursued a Masters degree in painting at Pratt Institute in NYC. She has exhibited her work in Europe, Western Asia and the United States and is the recipient of multiple awards and distinctions. Her work has appeared in several international photography publications.

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