When disillusioned women sit over spilled peas, carelessly light their cigarettes on a gas stove or stab a cake to death without a single hair out of place, you have entered the world of Miles Aldridge.
The photographer first found acclaim in the 1990s, first for his work for numerous fashion magazines, then for his hyper-stylized depiction of broken dreams and suburbia. His images are carefully constructed, evoking the discomfort of perfection in chaos. Beneath the glossy surface of his vibrant, candy-colored worlds, darker themes lurk – discontentment, repression, and a sense of alienation from the domestic ideal.
Aldridge initially pursued a career in illustration before shifting his focus to photography. He recounts this move as being mostly accidental. After studying illustration at Central Saint Martins in London, he moved on to directing music videos. During this time, a few pictures he took of his model girlfriend made their way to British Vogue. From then on he shot for numerous magazines, most notably Italian Vogue under legendary Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani. His background in illustration is reflected in his photographic style, which often feels extremely cinematic. His work is characterized by its bold use of color, striking compositions, and narrative complexity. Thus, he creates images that often feel like an acid-fueled fever dream.
Central to Aldridge’s work is his meticulous attention to detail. While planning his photographs he creates illustrations mapping out exactly what he wants to create. When he shoots he keeps referring to and working towards what he already has put down on paper. Each element serves a purpose, contributing to the overall narrative and infusing the image with layers of meaning and symbolism. Mixing luxury with unsettling female figures, his work leaves viewers feeling sickly-sweet. The world of Miles Aldridge is photographed exclusively on Kodak Color Negative, resulting in psychedelic, bright colors that heighten the dreamlike quality of his images.
The influences of cinema noir and pop art are undeniable; the glamour and intrigue of old Hollywood are translated perfectly into his work. His use of cinematic lighting techniques and dramatic staging creates a sense of heightened reality, blurring the lines between fantasy and truth. Aldridge’s photographs are not meant to show reality, but a fleeting, easily broken, illusion.
Aldridge is consistently inspired by his childhood and many of his female protagonists represent his mother in some sense – he himself describes them as distant and emotionally checked out, just as he witnessed her when he was a boy. His father, a well-known illustrator and graphic designer, left his family behind in London to start a new life in Los Angeles. While the photographer is not the first to draw inspiration from childhood trauma, he converts it into unusually glamorous pictures.
The women he photographs look almost too perfect to be real. Everything surrounding them is carefully and purposefully placed. However, it is quite clear to viewers that the beautiful surface has something sinister brewing beneath. Housewives bored and disillusioned; Virgin Mary looking far off into the distance, a singular tear rolling down her resin-coated face, her sadness twisted into something seductive; a meteor hitting the pope, who, in turn, falls between the legs of a pretty, naked woman. The central themes of consumerism under capitalism and religious hypocrisy in his photos are relevant now more than ever. Aldridge’s work compels viewers to question societal norms and confront uncomfortable truths by using beauty as both a lure and a weapon.
Despite the surreal nature of his work, Aldridge’s images resonate on a deeply emotional level, tapping into universal themes of desire, longing, and the quest for self-discovery. His photographs capture a specific emotional state – a yearning for something just out of reach, a dissatisfaction that lingers beneath the polished façade. Each of his photographs is a world of its own. A moment in time, stopped and recorded.
