Non-certified copies (2022)
This work consists of extreme close-ups of acrylic nails from various salons in Vietnam. Meticulously handcrafted by female nail techs, each set takes hours to finish but has a short lifespan of only over a fortnight before being drilled away. Taking a typological approach, I want to capture contemporary nail designs in detail, and to see if photography can magnify, elevate, and transform these intricate yet ephemeral objects.
While each nail is tailor-made and thus technically considered unique, many directly borrow from nature, or representations of nature. Some of the most popular designs employ metallic chrome and marble patterns, emulating the exact thing. The use of glittering foil and iridescent mother-of-pearl calls to mind natural phenomena like the ocean, aurora, or space dust. With loose brushwork and bright colors, certain nails could have masqueraded as impressionistic paintings but for the inevitable air bubbles in the top coat polish. However, the most obvious act of imitation is evident in how Vietnamese salons quickly adopt manicure trends from Korea and Japan, countries considered fashion pioneers in Asia.
This begs the question: Is everything nowadays a copy of a copy of a copy, including this piece of photographic reproduction? This work toys with the concept of originality and authorship when photography as a medium is going through a crisis in identity and value.
While each nail is tailor-made and thus technically considered unique, many directly borrow from nature, or representations of nature. Some of the most popular designs employ metallic chrome and marble patterns, emulating the exact thing. The use of glittering foil and iridescent mother-of-pearl calls to mind natural phenomena like the ocean, aurora, or space dust. With loose brushwork and bright colors, certain nails could have masqueraded as impressionistic paintings but for the inevitable air bubbles in the top coat polish. However, the most obvious act of imitation is evident in how Vietnamese salons quickly adopt manicure trends from Korea and Japan, countries considered fashion pioneers in Asia.
This begs the question: Is everything nowadays a copy of a copy of a copy, including this piece of photographic reproduction? This work toys with the concept of originality and authorship when photography as a medium is going through a crisis in identity and value.