Harley Weir

Harley Weir is a tender transgressor of boundaries, expanding visual definitions of intimacy with her photography. Citing reliance on intuition, she explains her process as carefully considered yet free from restraint. Using ​​decadent colour comparable to that of a pre-raphaelite painting, Weir captures a bullfighting ring, the function and form of the female body, sexual desire, or family illness, with cohesion. Motivated by the way art provokes discussion among viewers, she is also interested in her own conversation between the subject and lens, especially when her subjects present something they wish to communicate — about themselves, or about their world. Each of her shoots begin with a question.

Why are you drawn to colours in your work?

“Even as a fun pastime, just matching different colours together is so satisfying. I haven't thought deeply about why that is, but it's likely something to do with art therapy, how colours are related to different emotions.”

How do you like to work?

“I like to work in an intuitive way. Everything that seems random or abstract genuinely is. I feel that having everything completely planned can ruin the excitement of an image, so I always allow for components to change. It’s important to have an element of surprise.”

When you’re not working commercially, what are you doing?

“Ceramics. I just got a kiln, so I’m really excited to start making more objects. I learnt from my dad. I find it to be a really amazing form of art therapy because it’s so physical. You also have the excitement and anticipation of film photography between putting them in the kiln and taking them out.”


Do or Be?

"Both. Doing and being are a great pair."