* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
About R.J.:
R. J. Pool is a photographer based in Lismore, NSW, Australia.
R.J. explains his work by saying, “My collective work as an artist is titled the Anima Series. This body of work has been on-going since 1984 and is based on my experience of the feminine aspect of the male psyche – what Carl Jung called the anima. For more information about the anima go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus To express this part of myself, I employ models who act as alter egos who play out my thoughts and feelings in front of the camera. In many cases, these creative relationships involve years of collaboration. Expressing my anima is both an emotional and spiritual experience, hence there are many references to the mystic, esoteric traditions of my European ancestors. If you look closely at my images, there are no wrist watches, power lines or motor vehicles in the background. This is because my work is about the spiritual, enduring aspects of the human condition, as opposed to the modern material world. In a nutshell, my art is inspired by the feminine influences in my life.”
