Thérèse Rafter explores throwaway living in exhibition, Reflective Judgements

Thérèse Rafter explores throwaway living in a new photography exhibition, Reflective Judgements, at Hen’s Teeth, Dublin.

Awarded emerging photographer of 2017 by The Royal Hibernian Academy, Rafter’s photography “comprises nuances of pop culture and minimalism”, in a “pragmatic manner to explore aspects of consumer culture”.

Reflective Judgements takes its name from “Immanuel Kant’s writing on the philosophy of aesthetics”, Rafter explains. It “explores the culture of throwaway living”. Particularly focusing upon the negative effects of plastic waste on the environment, the imagery is “unsettling in its interpretation of human habit”. Offering pastel, stripped-back still lifes which juxtapose the natural with the unnatural, the artist’s poetic photographs are void of human presence. The project aims to explore beauty in the mundane, drawing the viewer’s gaze to subjects that may have been previously ignored, including, among other objects, beautifully portrayed Coca-Cola cups, clusters of tightly encased shrimp, and a lone goldfish trapped in a plastic bag. Rafter is aware of the power of commercial imagery and explores advertising’s role in the production of desire. Her images, which on first glance appear merely aesthetic are in fact suggestive of a more significant social critique.

Hen’s Teeth is an art and lifestyle store in Dublin; their second collaboration with the artist opens 5 July — 12, with a limited-edition of prints being available on site for the duration of the exhibition.