“Preservation” is a striking photography series by Los Angeles-based photographer Blake Little, which presents a unique and visceral portrayal of the human form. In this series, Little explores the concept of preservation by drenching his subjects in honey, creating a visual metaphor for the preservation of life and beauty. The honey acts as both a preservative and a lens, distorting and amplifying the features of the models, who range in age, ethnicity, and body type.
The result is a collection of images that are at once familiar and alien, evoking a sense of timelessness and the fragility of human existence. The series has been showcased in a gallery exhibition and compiled into a book, offering viewers a chance to immerse themselves in the captivating and sticky sweetness that blurs the line between art and artifact.
Preservation has many meanings, from the physical to the spiritual. At the most basic – and perhaps the most important – level it can denote survival. Hence the idea of protection, inherent in the term. But while the word often implies a kind of stability, or even stasis, preservation also comes about through transformation: wild animal preserves come to exist only by being separated from hunting grounds; fruit preserves are made from hours and hours of boiling, creating a sweet, lasting essence.
Blake Little
More info: Website, Preservation Book, Instagram, YouTube.
