Couples (2009)
What is it that brings people together and why do some relationships last longer than others?
A few years ago, a magazine article on the subject instantly drew my attention. The author explained that physiognomy was a concept suggesting that clues to a person’s character and temperament could be seen in the shapes and sizes of their facial features. The article went on to suggest that people also tended to be attracted to others with similar features to their own.
As I read more into the subject, I discovered a theory that suggested couples often begin to look even more similar over time. This concept could be explained in many ways, for instance, shared diet and environment could affect the way we look. A more tantalising concept relates to empathy, that partners sharing emotional ideas and personality traits may then subconsciously mirror each other’s facial expressions, thus over time creating similar facial muscle patterns and lines.
The general concept both intrigued me and amused me. I decided to set out to investigate further. I got in touch with couples from my local area that had been together for 20 years or more. I invited them into my studio and photographed them all in exactly the same way. The images in this series are the end product of my part photographic, part scientific investigation.
LEON FOGGITT
born in 1985 in Exeter, Devon (England), lives in Brighton (England)
www.leonfoggitt.com
Leon Foggitt graduated with a BA (Hons) Degree in Documentary Photography from the University of Wales, Newport in 2009. His work stems from an interest in human psychology and peoples’ reaction to being photographed. It is this inquisitive nature and an open minded view of the world that is the driving force behind his portraiture.
Leon’s photographs aim to capture not only seriousness and vulnerability in his sitters but also truth. In 2010 Leons’ work appeared in Bite Magazine and Lenscratch, among others. Later on in the year, the same work was published in Vrij Nederland Magazine in Holland and Feeling Magazine in Belgium.
Leon continues to meet new challenges, inspired by a creative energy that is directed towards understanding the world around him and his role in it. His photographs have been exhibited in England and Wales. Leon currently lives in Brighton, England.
