It is hard not to be slightly creeped out by the portraits that make up the photo series titled Talking Heads by Matthew Rolston, a photographer based in Beverly Hills and Malibu, California. In place of his usual live models, the American photographer, who was discovered by Andy Warhol himself, ventured into the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, to capture antique ventriloquist dummies.
Treating them as he would real people, the series titled Talking Heads by Matthew Rolston is shot against a white backdrop face-on. He writes, "By employing the same techniques and emotional approach I would apply to a human subject, I believe I was able to portray these figures in much the same way. … For me these figures have a yearning quality. They speak through their eyes, since their voices—voices of their ventriloquists—are now long silent."
What's Driving This Trend
- Human-like Puppet Portraits
- Puppetry-inspired marketing campaigns and art installations that blur the line between human and machine offer new and exciting branding opportunities.
- Antique Ventriloquist Dummies
- The vintage aesthetic made popular in popular culture presents new opportunities for fashion and retail industries to recycle old trends or mold new ones for contemporary audiences.
- Emotional Photography
- The popularity of unique photography portraits on social media platforms presents a unique opportunity for photographers and advertisers to capitalize on this trend and stand out in a crowded market.
Who This Affects Most
- Photography
- Professional photographers can leverage new technology and techniques to create unique and emotive portraits to capture the attention of potential clients and customers.
- Arts and Culture
- Art installations that involve humanizing machines or puppets can create immersive experiences for visitors, generate interest in the antique industrial era and blend historical elements with modern ones.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Incorporating unique concepts and art forms, such as ventriloquist dummies, can generate buzz in the advertising industry as brands seek to stand out in a crowded market.
