High Fashion Crime Scenes
2003-2017
Melanie Pullen’s extensive series, High Fashion Crime Scenes (2003-2017), is based on vintage crime-scene images Pullen mined from the files of The Los Angeles Police Department and The LA County Coroner’s Office.
Drawn to the rich details and compelling stories preserved in the criminal records, Pullen began re-enacting these crime-scenes, with well-known actresses and models, outfitting the “victims” in current haute-couture, and photographing them in her elaborately staged settings.
Photographs from this series employ the power of fashion to disguise, distract, and to draw the viewer’s attention away from the otherwise gruesome subjects.
In High Fashion Crime Scenes, Pullen focuses on both social values and taboos while purposely taking aim at the media’s exploitation of sex, gender, and violence.
Pullen herself has noted that she targets society’s glamorization of violent acts and crimes by literally re-dressing what are deeply disturbing events, forcing the viewer to question their own values and observations.
Violent Times (War)
2004-2010
Pullen’s photographic series Violent Times (2005-2009), is comprised of 95 large-scale lightboxes and photographic prints. In this series, Pullen explores the history of violence, the depiction of war beginning with the fantasy and glamour of historic painting, progressing toward the reality conveyed in modern journalism.
The series is broken down into four parts (Battle Scenes, Soldier Portraits, The Combat Soldiers, and Biochemical Warfare).
Pullen encourages the viewer to observe the stark contrast of fantasy versus violence particularly by closely examining The Combat Soldiers juxtaposed against the stillness of the Soldier Portraits. On closer examination one will notice the combat poses evolve into imagery reminiscent of tribal war dances and rituals, both of which celebrated and romanticized violence dating back to tribal warrior societies.
Pullen says, “In Violent Times, I dramatized the aesthetics of early portraiture and battle imagery, creating an extensive series that questions our perceptions and our ingrained desire to glamorize violence.”
Fashion Stories
2000 - 2022
This Section is Currently Under Construction. Check back soon for details and many more photos.