Sophie Wratzfeld in Conversation with Photographer, Iness Rychlik

Innocence Lost, 2020. 

In her conceptual self-portraits set in Victorian Britain, Polish-born photographer and filmmaker Iness Rychlik tells ambiguous stories that convey sexuality and cruelty in a subtle evocative way. By using her body as her canvas, she translates her chronic skin condition into art, capturing images that are deeply personal, yet function as symbols of a collective female identity. Her self-portraits provoke the viewer’s imagination, rather than satisfy it. 

Iness graduated with first class honours in film from Screen Academy Scotland with her final-year film, ‘The Dark Box’ premiering at Camerimage 2016 and receiving a nomination for a Golden Tadpole for cinematography. In recent years, she has been especially devoted to photography with her work being awarded and exhibited all around the world. 

 

MADE IN BED’s Assistant Interviews Editor Sophie Wratzfeld talks to Iness Rychlik about her different artistic approaches between film and photography, the intimacy of self-portraits and creating political awareness through art. 

Gift, 2020. 

 Sophie Wratzfeld: How has your education as a filmmaker influenced the way you tell stories? Do you find it more challenging to create powerful narratives through stills? 

Iness Rychlik: Each art form comes with its own set of challenges and advantages. Film, a highly collaborative medium, requires the ability to communicate one’s (often bizarre) ideas to other people. While you must balance both giving and taking directions on set, a successful collaboration can result in the most brilliant projects. 

Creating my self-portraits is, however, a deeply intimate experience. As you can imagine, juggling the roles of a photographer and a model comes with practical difficulties galore. Fortunately, my partner often helps me with more complex scenes. 

Another challenge with still images is that you, quite literally, get only one shot to tell a captivating story. My photographs are carefully thought out. Attention to detail, as well as an eye for production design are important skills I developed throughout my filmmaking education. I control every aspect of each image, from costumes and prop-making to post-production. 

SW: Your self-portraits explore various themes related to female identity and often evoke feelings of intimacy. Additionally, you use your chronic skin condition to convey those themes. Do you feel like working with your own body makes you more vulnerable or accessible to the audience? 

IR: There are few things that would make an artist more vulnerable than revealing their dark thoughts and their body at the same time. Ironically, you must grow thick skin, since this makes you more exposed to personal attacks. However, my audience – vastly composed of women – seem to appreciate the intimacy of my work. 

SW: Is the exclusion of your face, as well as the ambiguous symbolism in your photographs, a way of creating distance between your private persona and the viewer?  

IR: On the contrary; I believe that this degree of ambiguity invites viewers to connect with my photographs through their own interpretations and experiences. Women often feel compelled to reach out and share their personal stories with me. Being able to connect with other people through art is a wonderful experience.  

The Weight of your Words, 2020. 

SW: In photographs such as ‘The Edge of Subtlety’ you speak out against the abortion ban in Poland - do you think that artists have the responsibility to draw attention to political issues through their work? 

IR: Not necessarily – what I appreciate about art is the freedom of expression, as well as the freedom from any obligations. However, I feel very strongly about women’s rights and in my case, the personal is often connected to the political.  

The Edge of Subtlety, 2020. 

SW: [In an interview about ‘The Edge of Subtlety’ you said: ‘I tend to express my ideas in a less explicit way, but in this case, it was too late for subtlety.’] Do you think that political artworks need to be more explicit in their representation of the subject matter?  

IR: I think that each artwork and issue need to be considered individually. When it comes to ‘The Edge of Subtlety’, I did not want to leave any room for misinterpretation – this image is a direct criticism of the Tribunal’s decision. The crude hanger and the red blood stain forming the map outlines of Poland, aim to convey the brutal situation in my home country. 

Crime Scene, 2021. 

SW: Did you have a vision that was particularly difficult to translate into a photograph? 

IR: The most difficult images are the ones I have not taken yet. Creating the final photograph from the seed of an idea requires a lot of work, patience, test-shoots and ruined carpets.  

Thank you, Iness.  

Image courtesy of Iness Rychlik.  

Visit Iness Rychlik’s website and her Instagram @inessrychlik to find out more about her work.  

Sophie Wratzfeld,  

Assistant Interviews Editor, MADE IN BED