WINNERS

The Serpent Was More Subtle

  • Photographer
    Chuck Arlund, United States
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention

The Serpent Was More Subtle is an experimental analog photographic series created through manipulated medium format film, painted negatives, chemical intervention, and layered exposures. Inspired by Biblical narratives and Paradise Lost, the work explores ego, shame, isolation, and the search for spiritual connection. Figures appear fragmented, obscured, and physically separated, while double exposures suggest the desire for unity and wholeness beyond the pursuit of self. The damaged film surface becomes part of the meaning itself.