ARTIST BIO

A Visual Journey

In 2016, Heather Bontoft started her Fine Art Degree at Leeds Arts University, West Yorkshire. It was here that she began to experiment with both digital and analogue photography, which characterized her visual trajectory. In 2018, she became progressively interested in the emotional intimacy of hand-held images. Wanting to recreate the “aura” and presence of old photos. She began to experiment more with developing images and exploring the creative potential of Polaroid film.

Her work deals with the issues of isolation and alienation depicted in the media and how it is impacting today’s society, challenging the “perfect lifestyle” asserted by the ever-changing cultures of film and social media.

“I want my work to be relatable, to have a presence that draws people in. I want people to identify with my work, to recognise themselves.”

This is especially noticeable in her most current series of emulsion lifts, in which she captures cinematic film stills on a Polaroid camera. The Polaroid images are taken apart and distorted to create a delicate image; disfiguring the composition creating an uncanny aura.