Not Natasha Vs Migrant Prostitutes

When viewing Dana's images, they have a certain strong and personal style. Yet at the same time, I cannot help but feel many are posed and manipulated for a certain effect. I am not saying however, that this is a negative point - and that importantly this is showing how Dana sculpts her work as an artist.

Paolo Patrizi - Migrant Prostitutes.

As a binary opposition, Paolo Patrizi, who documented 'Migrant Prostitutes' locations for sex in Italy. With more of a documentary style, Paolo's images deliver emotion and atmosphere with a different effect. More displaced and eerie, we are allowed to study what we are seeing, contrasted with Dana's placement of us within the image, studying the situation for us and delivering her artistic judgement. The image above by Patrizi is not set for Depth of Field, Contrast and rich and or desaturated colours to compliment or work against the ethics/emotions involved, it is simply what it is. A picture of a migrant prostitutes bed, just off a layby, soiled dirty and disregarded, much like the prostitute. I feel the image holds enough information simply presented on its own, for us as viewers to understand the pain of what these women are going through.

Overall, I personally find Dana's artistic influence warming to the pictures, which does not suit the topic (in my eyes). As said before I much prefer the cold, clinical approach of Patrizi, who's images become static, and almost empty of emotion, which must be how the sex workers feel - tired, empty, drained and spent.

Even though i am not negatively commenting on Dana Popa's work, I do not think you should make a pretty picture from prostitutes, no matter what the message underneath it all is.

Daniel Ross