Galerie S:t Petri in Lund presents three exhibitions, all of which address the problem of the relationship between the artist and his or her model (which can also be the artist themselves), and vice versa. The works of Nathalie Talec, Fanny Volatier, and Paul-Armand Gette from France reflect on different aspects of this phenomenon.

It is a very complex network of circumstances that determines how the artist/model relationship is formed, and therefore it is also difficult to analyse. The artist has a certain intention, and the model is used mainly as an element — a part — to visualize this intention. In this sense, the model acquires significance as a contrast effect: distance and closeness are two related concepts that can be visualized through models.

The viewer interprets the work from their own perspective. Perception is not independent of how an individual feels or thinks, but is influenced by the personal tones of personality. Thus, the viewer may misread the artist’s intended solution and see something entirely different. When the artist/model relationship touches upon a “forbidden” area for the viewer, the reaction may be to accuse the artist for the choice of subject matter, rather than recognizing the viewer’s own emotional involvement in the interpretation.

In these three exhibitions, clothing plays an important role. The artists identify with different figures — the artist themselves, a friend, a mother, a child — and relate to the proximity or distance between the artist and the imaginary model. Everything is presented fragmentarily, with a poetic undertone. The works are rich in associations and cryptic — through small belongings or notes of memory, we can sense the closeness of another person and experience her intensely for a brief moment. In part, and yet as a whole.

The exhibition runs until May 17, 1980.