Whether thoroughly staged or shot from the hip, photographer Estelle Hanania’s work mixes smart framing and colour with a subtle examination of the slipperiness of outward identity presentation and inner life—as shown in her personal project shots of Lucha libre wrestler Cassandro el Exotico or sixteen-year-old ballet dancer Victor Polster; as well as commissioned editorials. Her new book from Shelter press, It’s Alive! A Travers l’œuvre de Gisèle Vienne, takes the form of a “subjective monograph” of the work of the titular choreographer. Where it really stands out is in moments like this—strange, funny little snippets behind the scenes, that likely go unnoticed by those close to them, but reveal so much more than classic portraiture or documentation could. Hanania’s work also revels in reflecting her subject’s approach, which frequently examines the relationships between bodies and objects. The photographer has maintained a working relationship and friendship with Vienne—who created the play this item was made for—since 2009 and that intimacy seems to shine through even in this smiling cushion.
