“The Evolution of the Senses” by board-certified physician and popular photographer Evgeniya Barrat provides aesthetic pleasure not just for the eyes, but also the soul. At the heart of the exhibition are therapeutic art photoshoots capable of healing and discovering yourself through creativity and art.
The exhibition, set to open on October 27 at the Excellence Gallery in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, features 13 experimental portraits of ordinary women. These ordinary women are depicted as “alive”, without any masks or makeup, free from all the standards and stereotypes imposed on them by society. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and pictures will always express these words more accurately. The main emphasis of the works on display is the deep chemistry of each woman’s feelings. Emotions are important. To be alive means to feel, and that is the key idea of the exhibition.
Evgeniya Barrat will demonstrate how photography can heal the soul. The author’s unique algorithms when it comes to therapeutic art photoshoots allow us to show a person what they’re really like, as well as what they think and feel without regard to social norms and limitations. A deep dive into the world of emotions and truth will allow each viewer to connect with the original world of art therapy: to raise their self-esteem, increase their emotional stability, and relieve stress. And it really works! This phototherapy, developed several decades as a therapeutic method that utilizes creative self-expression as a basis, is today successfully applied in psychological counseling and psychological correction.
As Yuri Sobolev, artistic director of the International Workshop of Synthesis Theater and Animation Interstudio says, today, there are “no borders that separate scientific and psychotherapeutic methods from art strategies. Their languages are not isolated from one another.” Many directions are beginning to use metaphor in their work, and creativity therapy is growing in popularity. In ordinary life, the connection between science and art is little tangible, but phototherapy is sure to surprise those who love beauty with its scientifically-grounded approach. So what’s the bottom line of it all?
The effectiveness of using photography in the process of psychological counseling is based on how photos are comprehensive images that fully reflect a person’s condition at that moment. An image will tell you what that person was experiencing at that particular moment in their lives, whether they felt relaxed, or, on the contrary, tense. Muscle tension in the face and body is also easy to spot when looking at an image, giving specialists a good tool in making diagnostic predictions and linking somatic problems to the psychological level. A person’s behavior in front of a camera can show their complexes, should they have any, and their degree of self-acceptance. Often, the freer someone is in front of a lens, the more they truly begin to feel free in real life. This also concerns the realization of social roles. For example, if a girl has a tough time portraying the image of a businesswoman, then that might mean she’s not too comfortable at work, either. Thus, phototherapy is directed at identifying and solving psychological problems as well as harmonizing the personality.
One of the pioneers of art therapy in psychology, Dr. Alexander Kopytin, defined nine psychotherapeutic functions of photography in his book “Phototherapy Techniques”. Among them are: how images are able to “bring memories to life” and lead to one reliving happy or unpleasant events; their ability to make experiences and personal manifestation reflected in a person’s appearance and actions; the chance to conduct a retrospective analysis of several images from certain stages of a person’s life in order to analyze how their personality has changed; and function as a tool for reflection on one’s actions and thoughts, due to them allowing you to “pause time” and focus.
“The Evolution of the Senses” project will allow viewers to experience the variety of possibilities of art therapy to “heal the soul”. This is exactly what modern society needs in a rapidly changing world. Our feelings have evolved and have long gone beyond the four basic emotions (sadness, joy, fear, anger). To accept ourselves, it’s important that we first learn to recognize and accept the full range of our feelings. This is what Evgeniya Barrat’s photo exhibition appeals to. Viewers will see different emotional shades that are accentuated across portrait images.
“The Evolution of the Senses” will help you attain awareness of your feelings and show you who’s hiding behind your pursuit of being perfect. For fans of photography, it’ll be even more of a treat. Photos are made on canvas, embroidered, using other mixed-technique elements, and all photo effects are authentic, meaning there’s no photoshop involved. It’s a unique project that crosses the worlds of art and psychology, immersing viewers in the world of art therapy, and healing through art.
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