'There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.'
Mark Twain
'The apple has long represented many things in religion, fables and mythology. A symbolism of temptation, desire and downfall, whether it be the apple featured in Genesis or the apple featured in Snow White. It's this concept of desire and seduction I've sought to capture in this shoot with Archie.'
Apple, the forbidden fruit... As soon as you label something with the word forbidden, you're already in trouble. Anything, as Mark Twain wisely says, labelled forbidden, instantly becomes more interesting, more desirable and that much more tempting. You can literally feel the temptation in this new series from London photographer Matt Lee. Matt captures Archie in full temptation mode, luring us in with his juicy and ripe piece of fruit.
I love the trajectory on Archie's face that Matt captures. Initially a little coy, even shy with the apple at his side. As his arm rises, Archie teases us with his goods, becoming more confident, even cocky, smirking at our inability to resist. By the last image, Archie knows he has won. We have caved and you can see it on the satisfied look on Archie's face.
I first featured Matt Lee's work on the blog last spring with A Strange Place. The first day of Autumn is a perfect time for this new series because as well as a symbol of temptation and desire, Apple's are also a symbol of fall. In many parts of the world, Apples are ready to be picked, eaten and enjoyed between mid to late September through the end of October. Matt shares that Archie is both a model and photographer himself, which made him wonderfully easy to work with given his understanding of how to get the best from a shoot. I love the concept that Matt achieved here, weaving the almost Gothic and mystical elements that have become some of my favorite parts of Matt's imagery.
