Influential creator Floria Sigismondi spans genres and forms, traversing the disciplines of film, music video, photography and visual art. Her command of disparate aesthetic elements is showcased in her new photo book, Eat the Sun, a star-studded collection of Sigismondi’s film and photographic work.
Floria Sigismondi has notable work in every visual creative field. Acclaimed for her iconic music videos, she has directed videos for David Bowie, The Cure, Marilyn Manson, Pink and The White Stripes. She has also directed episodes of American Gods, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Daredevil.
Her debut feature film The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning expanded her influence in the world of cinema. Her forthcoming film project, The Turning, will star Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard and will be released in early 2020.
Star-studded
Sigismondi’s latest project, however, is Eat the Sun, set for a September 12 release. The photo book features stunning and enigmatic images of plenty of famous faces, including Gary Oldman and Nicole Kidman. Alien-like shots of Tilda Swinton and David Bowie also feature, including stills from the video for The Stars Are Out Tonight.
Shots of Elle Fanning feature in the collection, dressed in ethereal punk rock garb from a selection of outtakes from the Sigur Ros film directed by Sigismondi in 2012.
Floria Sigismondi began her career as a fashion photographer, informing her idiosyncratic visual narratives and imbuing her style with a decidedly fashion-forward edge.
Speaking to i-D in 2016, the director said:
“In the past I was pulling inspiration from designers like McQueen and Westwood. I love their nod to the past infused with a chaotic punk aesthetic. I spent many a late night watching my mother sew garments for her and clients. Both my parents are opera singers so extravagant costumes were always around. Fashion is big part of what I do and is as important as lighting, camera, and music. They are all important parts that make the image whole and inform the mood and tone.”
This foray into the world of fashion led to experiments in music videos, then onto film and back around to visual art. Sigismondi’s work spans mediums and defies labels.
Sun Gazing
Eat the Sun takes its title from the ancient ritual of sun gazing.
In a recent interview with i-D magazine, Sigismondi said:
“I believe in intuition and creating from that place. I like the idea of the sun as this energy we can tap into, a ball of fire that is dangerous and life giving. People are like big beautiful suns that feed off each other, sharing electric moments. That is how I look at creativity and capturing a moment in time.”
Eat the Sun includes many never before seen photographs. This is the first time that the photos will be present in high-resolution. The book also features stills from Sigismondi’s acclaimed music videos. Behind the glamorous nature of her subject matter, the aesthetic of her work retains a sinister, dark edge.
“Los Angeles has many exhilarating sides—the glamour, the darkness, the magnificent, the magic. When looking beyond the facade and the exaggerated reality, I have found it to be an inspiring and artful place where opposite worlds collide,” Sigismondi said.
In an age of constant content creation, it is fitting that Floria Sigismondi’s work retains the interplay of the subversive and the traditional, by collating perverse aesthetics into the time-honoured format of a book.
“I’m an avid book collector and there is something very special about the ritual of flipping through a physical book.”
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