FERAL WOMAN
MYTH OF LA LOBA There is an old woman who lives in a hidden place that everyone knows but few have ever seen. . . . The sole work of La Loba, [the Wolf Woman], is the collecting of bones. She is known to collect and preserve especially that which is in danger of being lost creatures: the deer, the rattlesnake, the crow. But her specialty is said to be wolves. She creeps and crawls and sifts throught the montañas, mountains and arroyos, dry river beds, looking for wolf bones, and when she has assembled an entire skeleton, when the last bone is in place and the beautiful white scuplture of the creature is laid out before her, she sits by the fire and thinks about what song she will sing. And when she is sure, she stands over the creatura, raises her arms over it, and sings out. That is when the rib bones and leg bones of the wolf begin to flesh out and the creature becomes furred. La Loba sings some more, and more of the creature comes into being; its tail curls upward, shaggy and strong. And La Loba sings more and the wolf creature begins to breathe. And still La Loba sings so deeply that the floor of the desert shakes and as she sings, the wolf opens its eyes, leaps up, and runs away down the canyon.
—clarissa pinkola estés, women who run with the wolves
FERAL WOMAN
FERAL WOMAN is a photographic self-portrait series examining the contemporary themes of confinement, escapism, and rebirth. The publication is visualised through three chapters exploring the cyclical nature of day into night, inspired by traditional fairytales and female centred myths, from Rapunzel and La Loba (The Wolf Woman). This book was made during the 2019-2021 covid pandemic and is a musing of these current climatic times. Utilising set interiors and the expansive Cornish landscapes, harsh flash exposes the central themes around entrapment, isolation, and delusional states of mind. Burden collaborated with a global range of new emerging designer talents, some commissioned specifically for the publication. Working in multiple roles from photographer, model, location scout, producer, and problem solving stylist, new stories around womanhood lie at the core of the artists creative practise. Historically woman have been portrayed in classical fairytales as manic, unhinged, and traditionally feminine, this story challenges female stereotypes and celebrates the raw power contained within. Responding to this wave of dark femininity and the true female experience, this book is an exploration into what reality is and how we can express natural, feral beauty.
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
PHOTOGRAPHY / ART DIRECTION / STYLING / MODEL Olivia Burden PHOTO ASSISTANT Han Conroy SECONDARY ASSISTANTS Hayden Williams Rebecca Taylor GARMENTS / STYLING PROVIDED BY Rosie Evans Lydia Jackson Imogen Denton Kira Bolton Elinor Solly TEXT CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES, 2003. Women Who Run With The Wolves. New York: Ballantine Books. IMAGE (of La Loba) www.deviantart.com
Special thanks to Han Conroy, Hayden Williams, and Phillip Scurrah.
Olivia Burden, Feral Woman © May, 2021 Printed in the UK All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form. This includes, photocoping, screenshots, screen recording, coping, or printing without proir permission in writing from the publisher or without crediting photographer and or designers invovled. CONTACT www.livmburden.com livmburden@hotmail.com @livmburden