Contemporary ideals about what constitutes beauty have gradually become more homogenized due to the widespread popularity of shared digital experiences. Before the emergence of the internet, application of makeup for the majority of non-celebrity civilians was a process of untutored, organic self-experimentation. Photographer Jason Hetherington and make-up artist Mel Arter debunk the modern-day fashion industry bias towards airbrushed perfection with their collaborative insight entitled, 'Elements'.
The book presents an exhilarating, uninhibited study of cosmetics, landscape and light – taking a hedonistic trip to a bygone era of analogue film photography and bold, spontaneous artistry inspired by natural, environmental forms. Celebrating the powerful relationship between human and earth, 'Elements' is an iconic ode to a time when makeup represented freedom, ritual and instinctive creativity.
