Leto is an exhibition that investigates the feminine and the vulnerable. Joseph Agius talks to ANDREW ZARB about his choices of genre and of photography as the medium of his artistic expression.

JA: Personal mishaps that resulted in having to be restricted to some time in bed was the launchpad for your passion in photography. This reminds me of Henri Matisse, who embarked on painting while recuperating in bed. Did being away from the outside world, in a sort of temporary exile, precipi­tate a deep soul-searching? What made you decide to pursue photography?

AZ: Photography always fascinated me. Through photos, one can capture emotions that are lost in real life. A photo remains physically present, while an emotion becomes a memory. In fact, photos of the smiles, laughs, etc, usually bring up the same emotions felt at the very moment the photos were taken.

During my time in bed, isolated from the world, I finally found the time to focus and study the world of photography. I had been meaning to do this for ages, and I have to admit that it was a passion that I couldn’t let go of.

The passion for this medium was already there, even before the incident that restricted me to bed. However, I used to be disheartened when I saw other photographers’ works, and at the time, I felt my work would not measure up to theirs.

Another obstacle was finances. With hindsight, I now realise that these were mere excuses, a way to try to avoid possible mishaps and disappointments. So, my time in bed was an exercise in self-reflection and to come to terms with what I desired. Hence, I decided to act on this and, as the Maltese saying goes, “ma noqgħodx nistenna il-bajtra taqa’ f’ħalqi”.

JA: Being restricted for a long period of time to one’s bed is a time when one is alone with one’s body, its idiosyncrasies, its flaws, its sources of pain, its biological structure. Do you think that this experience contributed to your choice of concept for this exhibition?

AZ: Although the human body has always fascinated me, I first tried other genres of photography which led me to finally focus on the human body, since this genre was more satisfactory to me, rather than the others.

JA: Your first solo exhibition focuses on maternity, on details of women’s bodies, on their sculptural qualities. Do you feel that this zooming in reduces the voyeuristic and favours the more ‘spiritually’ intimate?

AZ: Through my works, I am always inclined to pass on a message; in this case the message is that every individual, in this case women, are perfect within their imperfections, especially when one considers the stereotypical scenario of women in general. My photography processes this not only through the photographic interpretation of the whole body, but often centres on localised parts of the body.

Hence the theme of motherhood embraces and investigates further this concept. A mother’s body goes through a lot of pain in life, from the moment she is born. A women’s body changes biologically to accommodate all different phases in life. Such strain is not only physical but also psychological.

I feel that I have managed to capture not just their beauty, but their shyness, indecisiveness, indeed spontaneous moments that result in an effect which evokes the more natural and the more raw

Through all of this, the ‘mother’ remains pure and incredibly beautiful, and this is illustrated in my photographs and substantiated by the same models.

One notices that in my photography, the identity of the person is never revealed. This gives a measure of peace of mind to the models, who are not professional models.

JA: The title of the exhibition, Leto, draws on Greek mytho­logy. She is the goddess of motherhood. She represents endurance and acceptance in the face of a biological role that requires the discomfort of childbearing, the pain of giving birth and the overwhelming love for the newborn which lasts till death. Can this exhibition be considered as a comment amid the backdrop of the contemporary discourse on abortion and women’s rights; one exemplified by a goddess in these godless times?

AZ: To be honest, I did not contemplate the issue of abortion during this project’s crea­tive process, as I tend not to follow the news so much.

What I desire from this exhibition is that I portray the beauty of women, with a special emphasis on mothers, as though each one of them is a goddess. They deserve admiration for their intrinsic beauty.

JA: Your nudes remind me of the nudes of Edward Weston. The American photographer celebrated the architecture of the female body as a landscape of sorts. Is he one of your influences? Or are there other influences that you can mention?

AZ: Being self-taught, I strongly believe that I had lots of influences; rather than from other photographers, this was through other visual artists, and through the spontaneity during the shoots.

I yearn for knowledge and follow a lot of documentaries, most usually thematically linked to nature, technology, art, the history of our world, and people who have made history. I absorb ideas through the things that interest me, so I can basically and safely say that I get inspiration from different sources.

Caravaggio and Rembrandt are two artists whose art I admire a lot. During each photo­shoot, I also leave it up to the models to come up with their own ideas, and this sometimes results in an outcome that is outstanding, and which transcends any preconceived ideas. During the shoots, I always ensure that the models are comfortable.

JA: I think that your use of non-professional models contributes to a measure of vulnerability, as evidenced in your art. Do you believe that this is so?

AZ: Yes definitely. I tend to go for non-professional models as I believe they evoke more emotion; they rarely know how to pose. Hence, I can use my medium to express ‘raw’ feelings. A lot of the models that I have worked with have never posed or modelled before, or never in the nude.

There were some of them who saw it as something that they wanted to experience, while others wanted to overcome their self-conscious idea of a negative body image.

I feel that I have managed to capture not just their beauty, but their shyness, indecisiveness, indeed spontaneous moments that result in an effect that evokes the more natural and the more raw.

Some of the women feel more confident and are more approachable camera-wise after this new experience. I’m proud of the fact that this makes them more natural and less self-conscious in their disposition, if it only means overcoming inhibitions in something as simple as just taking a selfie.

After looking at their own photos, they rationalise the misconceptions about their own bodies. It contributes towards a liberating feeling of self-acceptance and of loving one’s body, without the compulsion to hide it away.

JA: I think you have stated somewhere that non-professional male models are not easy to come by. Why do you think this is so? Are men more self-conscious about their bodies and thus more reluctant to be vulnerable by exposing all?

AZ: I have worked with male models, but to a much lesser degree. I wish that there were more men who are willing to participate in such shoots. I feel that a man in general is not confident enough and is not ready to bare it all out in front of a camera. This might be a wrong interpretation, but for as long as I have been pursuing photography, most of the models were women.

Leto, co-curated by Rosanna Cili­berti and Sarah Vassallo Ciliberti, and hosted by Senglea’s Art by the Sea Gallery, will run until February 18. Consult the event’s Facebook page for opening hours.