Shira Klasmer

Duel Face

A Duel Definition – 1). A prearranged, formal combat between two persons, usually fought to settle a point of honour. 2). A struggle for domination between two contending persons, groups, or ideas.

Many of us consider our facial features to be a main aspect to our identity, and in this series I explored these identities in relation to our siblings, who are the closest to us in our facial composition.

Working with traditional photographic methods and creating the image in-camera, the two siblings (a brother and sister, two brothers or two sisters) were photographed together as a double expose on film. Using this in-camera method, the amalgamation of two sitter results in a new face created on film with the magic of light. The portrait has no gender or identity, and yet comprises the unique features of the individual sitters, and certain elements of the siblings features are either subdued or take dominance.

It thus can be seen as a combat of identity – a duel for a face..