Flesh Love is a photography project by Tokyo-based artist Photographer Hal. Over the years, Photographer Hal has explored the themes of love and attachment by taking photographs of couples in enclosed spaces across multiple projects. For the Flesh Love series, Photographer Hal began to vacuum seal couples together in plastic wrap as a way to examine modern relationships. Photographer Hal tells us more about the story behind his work below.
《Flesh Love》是由东京艺术家Photographer Hal创作的一个摄影项目。多年来，Photographer Hal曾在多个摄影项目中，用镜头捕捉情侣在封闭空间的照片，探讨爱情和迷恋的主题。在《Flesh Love》系列中，Photographer Hal将情侣装在一个巨型真空密封袋中，寓意对现代男女关系的一种审视。Photographer Hal向我们分享了更多关于这些作品背后的故事。
“When you embrace your lover, sometimes you wish to melt right into them. To realize this wish, I’ve been photographing couples in small and cramped spaces like motels and bathtubs. As my work has become more and more intense, I’ve noticed that communication is indispensable.”
“拥抱着自己的爱人时，有时候你会突然希望自己可以融入他们的身体当中。为了实现这个愿望，我常常选择在狭窄拥挤的空间里拍摄情侣，譬如汽车旅馆和浴缸。随着自己作品的风格越来越强烈，我发现，沟通也是不可或缺的。”
“I go to Kabukicho in Shinjuku, underground bars in Shibuya and many other places which are full of activity like luscious night time bee hives. When I see a couple of interest I will begin to negotiate. I’m sure that many people initially think of my proposal as unusual or even look through me like I am completely invisible, but I always push forward with my challenge to them. The models appear from all walks of life, and individually, have included musicians, dancers, strippers, laborers, restaurant and bar managers, photographers, businessmen and businesswomen, the unsettled and the unemployed, and so on.”
“我去新宿的歌舞伎町，涩谷的地下酒吧，还有很多地方，都是一些夜生活比较热闹的地方。看到感兴趣的情侣时，我就会跟他们搭讪。我敢肯定，很多人一开始都会觉得我的建议很奇怪，甚至直接无视我，当我不存在，但我会继续说服他们，用激将法问他们敢不敢做我的模特。我镜头下的模特来自社会上的各行各业，他们中有音乐家、舞蹈家、脱衣舞者、劳工、餐厅和酒吧经理，也有摄影师、商人、流浪汉和无业人员等等。”
“This time, I reached the point of photographing couples in vacuum-sealed packs in a set that I’ve constructed in my own kitchen. The lights are in the ceiling, so I just flip one switch and have everything ready. I have a few different colored paper backgrounds, which I leave rolled up in the corner. After the couple gets in the vacuum pack, I suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner until there’s none left. This gives me ten seconds to take the shot. In this extremely limited time I can’t release the shutter more than twice. I’ve been in there myself, and the fear I felt was overwhelming.”
“这一次，我的想法是让情侣装在真空密封袋里拍摄，拍摄地点就在我自己的厨房里。天花板上有吊灯，所以我只需按一下开关，一切就准备就绪了。我有几种不同颜色的纸张作为背景，不用的时候可以卷起放在角落里。情侣进入真空密封袋后，我再用吸尘器吸光里面的空气。然后我只有十秒钟的时间来拍照片。在这极其有限的时间内，我最多只能按2次快门。拍摄的时候，我感觉自己也像是装在真空密封袋里一般，内心也会感到铺天盖地的恐惧。”
“As the shooting continues over multiple takes, the pressure of the vacuum seal grows stronger. At the same time, the two bodies start to communicate, and whether through unevenness of limbs or the curve of joints they begin to draw a shape of what they want to express. The two lovers draw closer until they finally transform into a single being. Looking at these vacuum-sealed packs of love, we can imagine a more peaceful world. For me, the vacuum pack is only a means: the important thing is connecting to someone.”
“随着拍摄继续，真空密封袋里的压力会越来越大。同时，里面两个人开始沟通，通过起伏不平的肢体，或关节的曲线，呈现出一定的廓形，以此表达出他们的想法。两个相爱的人拉近彼此的距离，直到他们最终结为一体。看着这些充满爱意的真空密封袋，会令人联想到一个更和平的世界。对我来说，真空密封袋只是一种手段，更重要的是人与人之间的联系。”
