Laura Pannack is a London based photographer.
Renowned for her portraiture and social documentary work, she seeks to explore the complex relationship between the subject and the photographer.
Her work has been extensively exhibited and published worldwide, including at The National Portrait Gallery, The Houses of Parliament, Somerset House and the Royal Festival Hall in London. Her artwork has received much acclaim and won numerous awards, among which are the John Kobal Award , Vic Odden prize,World Photo Press Awards and the HSBC Prix de la Photographie prize.
About ‘Youth Without Age, Life Without Death: Chapter 1‘ – words by Laura Pannack:
“Youth Without Age, Life Without Death: Chapter 1” is a photographic exploration of the fragility of life. The work is concerned with themes of time, journeys, and the cycle of life and death.
Set in the Romanian landscape and created over the past four years, the project takes inspiration from a local folk tale, following the story of a young prince on his quest for eternal life. The work sensitively responds to the strong role that folklore plays within Romanian culture.
This is a poetic collision of reality and fantasy. Symbols and cues are playfully introduced and encourage the viewer to embark on their own journey. This project is a response to my need to escape, adventure and roam in reaction to internal pressure; I feel that time is moving too fast. It seems like a shared experience that hours, days and weeks pass and we can’t recall them, life continues and time slips away. My adventure began in Romania. The strong sense of timelessness, tradition, and untouched scenery mirrored my desire to stop time.
This is a photographic exploration of the people, places and landscapes I, drawing directly on this famous mythology and a sense of a temporal place to offer a view on the fragility of life. Alternating between reality and fantasy, the photographs respond to a feeling of separation from the modern world. I have intentionally played with the notion of fiction and the present moment.
