Date: 01/05/2015
Artist: SAFFRON_L
Folio: SOLILOQUY
Congratulations Saffron_L for winning May's Art Prize! Your expert use of negative space and simple composition makes 'soliloquy' stand out from the crowd as this month's most artistic primary folio.

Date: 01/04/2015 DESIREE ||
Folio: DEEP_DESIREE
April's art prize goes to Desiree for her elegant folio "Deep_Desiree". Capturing her skin in stunning sepia shades, her lens lingering on textures - the tickle of chocolate coloured hair, the rough fuzz of carpet on delicate skin, the embrace of a heavy cotton jumper. Desiree illuminates her abandoned mansion with the energy of her self-exploration, reflected back to the camera in a subtle and inviting gaze. Congratulations Desiree!

Date: 01/03/2015
Artist: SONDRINE
Folio: SHINE_TO_GLASS
Shooting "shine_to_glass" may have cursed Sondrine with 49 years of bad luck, but that hasn't stopped her from winning this month's art prize! Using mirror shards to fragment the image of her body, bathed in pastel tones and flecked with rainbow light, Sondrine has created a folio truly worthy of adoration. Congratulations Sondrine!

Date: 01/02/2015 SILKE ||
Folio: HALLUCINOGENE
A landslide vote this month makes Silke's pop-bam-wow folio, "Hallucinogene", our February Art Prize winner! Her intoxicatingly hot mess of color splashed onto our screens and made our hearts go "rawr", and her use of light, imagery and framing did the rest. Congratulations Silke!

Date: 01/01/2015
Artist: DORIS_N
Folio: TAKO_TOUCH
Doris_N blew us away at ISM this month with “Tako_Touch” – a tribute to the seductive power of the octopus. Her sultry glances betray her enjoyment as puckered tentacles wrap and slide over every part of her bare skin. Each photo offers a new perspective on this sensual experience - for this we say thank you and congratulations for winning December’s Art Prize!

Date: 01/12/2014 LILA_S ||
Folio: MIDSUMMER_NIGHTS
A landslide vote at HQ this month for Lila_S' "Midsummer Nights", a folio which takes us from the sweet sun-drenched tiles of Lila's flower strewn patio, to beneath the foaming of the aquamarine waves at the beach. Lila's true beauty shines from within, but it's her skills with her camera that allow her to share it so eloquently, regardless of the physical distance between us. Congratulations, Lila_S, for winning November's Art Prize!

Date: 01/11/2014 BETTY_J ||
Folio: RHIZINE
A thread outlined in light, a tiny golden filament, the pupil of her eye, widening oh so slightly. Maggie_A strips down and breaks down: the world into its component parts, her feelings into colors, her naked body into the grass. Art, emotion, nudity and light collide in Rhizine, resulting in a splendid example of self-portraiture which goes well beyond the stretch-and-snap. Congratulations, Maggie A! You've won October's Art Prize!

Date: 01/10/2014
Artist: SAMSARA_H
Folio: TRIBAL_FUSION
Samsara H is a breath of fresh air, filling our screens with a joyful mood and rich, dynamic color palettes which put us in mind of long days shooting 35mm film, when the experience mattered just as much as the final product. Samsara's simple day at the beach, underlined with evocative moments of contemplation and abstract plays at shape and form, have us feeling all touched and nostalgic. So congratulations, Samsara H, for winning September's Art Prize!

Date: 01/08/2014
Artist: AINSLEY_C
Folio: FIRST_MORNING
It takes great courage to post naked photos of oneself here at ISM, and Ainsley C's folio, "First Morning", takes the exposure one step further. Baring her scars for the first time, Ainsley takes on the whole world at once - daring us to look, and to love her as much as she loves herself. Along with the emotional depth of this exposure comes an elegantly enacted theme of emergence, deep vivid colors, and beautifully framed closeups, making Ainsley_C's debut folio a shoo-in for July's Art Prize. Congratulations!

Date: 01/07/2014
Artist: PIXIE_P
Folio: COTTON_TAIL
Pixie_P embraces the audience from the start, introducing the details of her body in intimate close up shots. As she takes the camera to arm's length, she allows us wider look into her world: hand drawn pictures on the wall, her pet rabbit. For her artful use of field size and composition, we are proud to award June's Art Prize to Pixie_P, for her primary folio, "Cotton_Tail". Congratulations!

Date: 01/06/2014
Artist: AZUMI
Folio: ECHOING
It wasn't easy for Azumi's folio to sneak up on us - her feet on the bare floorboards, echoing, the snap of a twig - but what alerted us to her presence most of all was the sound of her heart beating. Alive and vital, Azumi came echoing in through empty aesthetic spaces, filling them instead with her light and thought and body. Congratulations, Azumi, for winning May's Art Prize!

Date: 01/05/2014
Artist: KAWA
Folio: AKIBARE
When Kawa turns her gaze on herself, a strange beauty is magnified. 'Akibare' reflects the quiet brightness of the cusp between seasons, waxing and waning, a folio of shrewd curiosity as Kawa casts auto-erotic glances into her own in-between spaces. Congratulations, Kawa, for winning April's Art Prize!

Date: 01/04/2014 GRACIE_LEE ||
Folio: GRACIES_WEB
One day, Gracie_Lee walked out, naked as a sparrow, her footfalls delicate on the bending grasses and her camera taptapping against her hip. The world through Gracie's eyes is a soft and quiet place, rich with light refracting. Gracie Lee, fascinated by brilliance of her suncaught hair, the bokeh beauty of the day's colors brought back into focus by a sharp, clean twist of her efficient lens, the rippled creases and long taut planes of her own skin. Congratulations, Gracie Lee.

Date: 01/03/2014
Artist: VIVIANA
Folio: LAUGH_RIOT
Going through Viviana's folio "Laugh Riot" is like pulling a scarf out of a hat filled with emotions, each picture capturing a pure expression of mood. It's important to remember that beauty isn't always sunshine and laughter, but also moments of stark reality and calm contemplation. For reminding us of this, Viviana, thank you - and congratulations, for winning February's Art Prize!

Date: 01/02/2014
Artist: JAY_D
Folio: SUSPEND
Jay D's "Suspend" took big risks this month, combining flawless photography, thrilling public nudity, and fearless performance art as she perched on the balcony of her apartment tower, proudly displaying her naked body for the world to see. Jay_D ought to be proud - her risks paid off, nabbing January's Art Prize and our ardent admiration. Cheers, and congratulations to you, Jay D!