Julia Fullerton-Batten: Contortion

Julia Fullerton-Batten is a worldwide acclaimed and award winning Fine Art photographer who uses photography as a means of story telling. Julia’s use of unusual locations, highly creative settings, street-cast models, accented with cinematic lighting are hallmarks of her very distinctive style of photography.

She lives in Bedford Park, where many of her photographs have been taken. ‘Contortion’ is one of the projects of which she was most proud of in 2020. Here she explains why.

Images above: Flexible Roxy 1 & Flexible Roxy 2 – Photographs by Julia Fullerton-Batten

Who doesn’t marvel at the physical art of contortionists, their elegance and gracefulness, but above all the way they can manipulate their bodies into such unbelievably dramatic positions right down to the curl of a finger?

Contortionism is one of the oldest physical art forms, dating back to ancient civilisation as illustrated in paintings and sculptures from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt . Apart from the bodily characteristics of flexibility, strength and apparent double-jointedness, a contortionist requires years of dedication to extremes of discipline and training, often beginning in childhood, to acquire the fluid artistry needed to create a serpentine dance of the human body.

Images above: Lara Contortion 1 & Lara Contortion 2 – Photographs by Julia Fullerton-Batten

In the past, contortionists were associated almost exclusively with circus and fairs, where it entertained by incorporating elements of humour, drama, shock, sensuality, or a blend of all of them. Nowadays, it has also become a hobby much enjoyed by many youngsters.

Very recently I had a teenager dramatically perform in my short film, The 1815 Frost Fair, shot in late 2019 as the culmination of my mammoth Old Father Thames Project. When Covid-19 first struck I found myself reflecting on the pathos of her performance on that day. In relation to the pandemic I felt it highlighted our heightened sensitivities to this previously unknown threat to our existence. Feelings offset by our innate inner strengths of humour, fortitude, combativeness and an overwhelming desire to just somehow cope with the situation.

Inspired by that performance I invited a troupe of young contortionists to shoot a series of stills as they showed off their skill set of physicality, humour, sensuality and exuberance. My images of their performance arouse in us a heightened optimism and belief for a better future once we have conquered the uncertainties of our present lives.

Images above: Contortion Brooke 1 & Contortion Brooke 2 – Photographs by Julia Fullerton-Batten

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar

See also: Best photographs of the year 2020

See also: Sheila Hancock made a Dame in the New Year’s Honours List

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