Lilly's Birdcage. Aurelie Lagoutte

Prior to taking up photography, Aurélie Lagoutte had wanted to pose as a nude model herself but rarely appreciated the end result. Although not generalising, she was acutely aware that there was a dominant masculine point of view.

By the time she picked up a camera, her first film roll was entirely dedicated to feminine nudes, as would many after that – an attempt to give women back their sense of freedom whilst not enlacing a masculine sexual fantasy. Her nudes are not personally identifiable; allowing timelessness, a different relationship with the ‘model’, and at the same appeasing her own curiosity as to posing herself as one of her nudes. With this exhibition, Aurélie concludes many years of work on her nudes, with women from all walks of life, street-casted in East London during the last six months.

She manages here a dialog with strangers that allows her to get intimate with her models at more than one level, and them to feel comfortable enough to let go. Aurélie aims to present vulnerability as a strength, such as when using the film camera “Mamiya rb67” to depict a clear dream-like image.

“Lilly’s birdcage” is Aurélie’s set. It is open; birds at ease come and go as they please; they drink, they pose whilst flapping their wings – and then they leave.