Fernando Bayona, “The Last Time” from the Series “The Life of the Other”

Fernando Bayona’s series “The Life of the Other” is a research project made of 12 images that are halfway between documentary photography and staged photography.

The project reflects upon the use of the body as working tool for three groups of professionals. These groups are both sides of the coin of desire. On one of the coin are the strippers and porn actors as unobtainable object of desire. On the other side are male prostitutes who are not just obtainable but occupy a somehow subordinate role.

The name of the project refers to the double set of identities these workers have in order to protect their privacy. They develop an alter ego as a sort of a virtual mask to differentiate themselves from who they are. To perform the tasks their profession requires they create a construct which mutates to adapt to the different demands of the customers, thus becoming — consciously or unconsciously — actors who have very particular type of existence.

Reblogged with many thanks to https://cevans75.tumblr.com