M. Woods is a US-based photographer and filmmaker whose work emerges from a seemingly infinite intertwined labyrinth of socio-political and philosophical themes.
In an illogical, convoluted world poisoned by hyperrealism, political injustice, and societal degradation, the avant-garde element remained the only natural coping mechanism and the only logical form of rebellion.
This multidisciplinary artist explores various mediums and techniques to depict their vision—analog film, collage, multiple exposure, abstraction, street photography, and direct manipulation.
The depth of the photographs mirrors the depth of the themes dissected through them. In Woods’ own words, their art is used to “navigate the internalized socio-political topographies of addiction, mental and physical disability, malignant nihilism, and white supremacy” and to deconstruct “the post-9/11 acceleration of hyperrealism and (media) drug dependency, documenting the spread of solipsism in a media environment dominated by corporate neo-fascism.”
In “[TEMPORARY] CUSTODY,” M. Woods and their daughter Annmarie capture the transient nature of childhood against the background of life’s hardships, reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s film “Boyhood.” The use of Polaroid and the depiction of New York have a sense of nostalgia, longing for seeing the world through a child’s perspective, taking it at face value, without all the information gained by becoming an adult. The photos feel like a hazy kaleidoscope of images flashing before the eyes of a kid that is falling asleep after a busy day of colorful fun and exploring.
In “THE ABRIDGED OXONIAE PHOTOGRAPHAE,” the artist uses the University of Oxford as the epitome of a rotten apple, a marble tomb for failed ideals and dying dreams.
Through extensive collections of combined photography and poetry, M. Woods relentlessly pursues building creative time capsules that, curiously enough, succeed in both puzzling and informing the viewer. The projects represent pointing fingers at both the society and themselves, holding them responsible for any wrongdoings.
Whether intentional or not, M. Woods’s projects collectively become a shout in the void, a protest to the cruel nature of nowadays reality, and an encyclopedia of one individual’s life, brimming with over-explanations and social commentary.
Read our “Focus” issue in full
Our August issue features 17 visual artists, photographers, and poets whose work taught us about relentlessness, resilience, and clarity. “Focus” became the chosen theme for this last month of summer.
We’re a team of writers using our craft to spotlight art in its most honest form. RAWGUE. started as a bi-monthly editorial experiment where each issue’s theme is dictated by the submitted work, thus removing editorial bias from the equation and preserving a more raw approach. We focus on all forms of poetry: written, photographed, painted, drawn, and filmed.
