Interview By David Toyne

Hellen Van Meene by Frits De Beer

It struck me as an excellent counter balance to the dry, objectifying commercial portraiture we are exposed on a daily basis. In fact they seemed the antithesis to this. Her prints often featured young girls dwelling in that transient moment in childhood adolescence on the cusp adulthood. Her subjects often appeared awkward or vulnerable sometimes seeming a little uncomfortable in their own skin. Yet despite this there is an understated beauty to each image. 

In Hellen's photographs there is a strong sense of realism. All of the models minor imperfections are on show. There are sometimes bruises, Goose bumps or blemishes all proudly on display. All of the photographs are taken in unmodified natural light, with models Hellen carefully chooses to avoid the hum drum classically beautiful look. The result of this hard-line realist approach works on two fronts. There is an unusual sense of honesty and feeling in the photographs but there is also an ethereal quality that is hard to quantify. In order to better understand this aspect of Hellen´s craft we made arrangements to discuss her thoughts on photography in depth and also to examine how she approaches making photographs.

Image © Hellen Van Meene All photos courtesy of Sadie Coles

The unique look and feel of Hellen´s work raises the question what are her influences? When we discussed this it was no surprise to learn she did not really feel influenced by any photographers. At least not influenced in the sense that she wanted to emulate them. Though later in her career she was introduced to the work of Diane Arbus which she enjoyed. Hellen also added that in all the books of other photographers work she had seen, the thought "oh that is what I must try to do o" had never occurred to her. This strong individual streak plays a significant part in her success as an innovative and individual photographer. As an unusual footnote she added that a good filming style or a striking scene in a film could be an indirect influence to her. Perhaps having some bearing on the aesthetic of a particular photograph taken at a later date.