Carlo Van de Roer ‘The Portrait Machine Project’

My friend Natalie recently worked with photographer Carlo Van de Roer on a editorial shoot in Wellington, New Zealand, for NZ magazine, Pilot. New Zealander Carlo Van de Roer, now living and working out of New York City, was in his home land for his new exhibition entitled ‘The Portrait Machine Project‘ which has just opened last week at Suite Gallery in Wellington.

The Portrait Machine Project images were taken by a Polaroid aura camera developed in the 1970s by an American scientist in an attempt to record what a psychic might see. This project explores the idea that a portrait photograph can reveal what could otherwise be left unseen, an insight into the subject’s characteristics and qualities. Using color and mass, the index of personality is represented within a diagram of sorts following the image of color.

Photographing people who are familiar to him, Carlo Van de Roer photographs Terence Koh, Aurel Schmidt, Miranda July and more, using the fact that these people are in the public sphere as a point of insight and interest.

Thanks for the introduction Natalie!

See below for more images from Carlo Van de Roer’s The Portrait Machine Project.

Terence Koh

Miranda July- diagram

All portraits in color block

Terence Koh x6

See more example of The Portrait Machine Project here