Snap Me Incomplete

Kate Panzetta's photographs leave part of the mind perplexed and disoriented, but in a way that is  exciting and challenging. To the passing eye, there is nothing particularly unusual about seeing a pair of legs dangling from a chair in her photos, until we realise that it's all there is – dangling legs and no body. We do a double take of her images and allow ourselves to be drawn in, and that's when the journey begins.

As a student at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney majoring in Photomedia, Panzetta's latest series explores the feelings of incompleteness that we have with ourselves and the lack of fulfillment in society. In her exploration she presents us with familiar images that hook us in and make us ask questions.

“I want my works to achieve a sense of exploring real life issues that are represented in an abstract quirky way. I'm aiming to put an original modern spin on old issues,” says Panzetta. “For example, with my latest series, I am exploring issues of incomplete feelings of identity, and unfulfilled desire. I aim to make images that depict a distorted view of the body, to challenge this perfect vision of the 'normal' body that as a society we have become so deeply immersed in.”

In one of her striking images, the bottom half of a woman sits by a wall in a dimly lit alleyway; a typical post-partying scene that would normally draw no attention and raise no questions. However, the woman's lack of a torso and head suddenly makes her an odd curiosity, and suddenly we wonder who she is, why she is there, and why she feels empty.

“I shot in various locations such as friends houses, parks and even in scary dark ally ways, which was a bit of a worry considering I was using an expensive SLR camera,” she says. “As an artist I have so much freedom to not only to produce photos straight from my camera but I am able to manipulate a photo by various means. I can create my own visions, mix reality, whether it be beautiful, tragic or funny with my own twist.”

After graduation, Panzetta hopes to land an internship at a magazine and be involved in creative direction.

“Ideally I'd like to deal with the editorial process of images or working with photographers...and of course, continuing to create my own images commenting on this crazy world we live in.”