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The Chaos Theory by Thom Kerr

Thom Kerr‘s approach to fashion photography and digital art has always intrigued us, and last year he made his debut on Ben Trovato with a genius story entitled Viper Girl, presented as fashion comic. This time around Kerr is taking us into outer space.

The Chaos Theory is an exploration of the birth of the universe,” he explains, adding “A mystical being that oversees both the beginning and the end. As a child I was obsessed with mythology, so I think this is a combination of the Goddess archetype I love crossed with my deep fascination with space and it’s limitless possibilities. She dances between positive and negative energy, both fragile and powerful at the same time. She is symbolic of all stages of creation - a mystery within herself.”

Kerr goes on to explain that the idea for the story featuring the breathtaking Liv O’Driscoll evolved from the darker part of his imagination: “- At the time I shot this I was suffering from a bout of  loneliness. I was living in a foreign country and had been waiting several months for my lover to arrive. It was a period in my life where I spent a lot of time meditating alone, and perhaps on a subconscious level that’s why this character floats overlooking the stars, pondering the universe around her. I went through a lot of personal reflection during that time with no idea what the future held in store. I think the images still contain those emotional seeds for me.

“It’s one of my favourite stories that I’ve ever shot, and I’m aware that some people will connect with it and others won’t - but it’s all a part of the game ain’t it!”

Contributing to the good experience was model Liv O’Driscoll, who Kerr says it was a true joy to work with: “- I can safely say that I have worked with a lot of models in my time, and Liv O’Driscoll is absolutely one of my favourite girls to shoot with. It’s not just the genetically blessed factor with Liv, she has the ability to really convey emotion in an image and doesn’t just rely on her beauty to capture the moment. When we were shooting this story in studio we were playing Goldfrapp on the loud speakers to get us in the mood. All of a sudden we witnessed this cinematic moment as she transformed into this haunting character. She moved so beautifully to the music in the lighting and all of us had a moment of falling into silence mesmerised by her performance. She’s a total actress. I’ve just shot my first fashion film with her which I will be releasing shortly. She is definitely one to watch!

The rest of the team consisted of makeup artist Joel Marriott, hair stylists at Playle Salon, and of course fashion stylist Sara Smeath -who Kerr has worked with a lot in the past: “- Sara Smeath and I have been friends for a long time and have worked together on many shoots. She understands what I look for with styling, which is eccentricity with a purpose. And she appreciates the fact that I embrace her aesthetic and commend her creative choices. David Playle, who runs Playle Salon, has always been super supportive of my creative ideas, working with me wherever he could on my shoots and delivering the goods on my often complex briefs. And Joel Marriott, who is now based in New York, never shys away from a good makeup challenge! I wanted a hair and makeup look that came across as ghostly and old world and I feel they really succeeded.

“I’m lucky that the universe provides me with the right creative talent whenever I need it!”

Credits
Photography by Thom Kerr
Styling by Sara Smeath
Makeup by Joel Marriott using MAC
Hair by  Playle Salon
Model - Liv O’Driscoll @ RED 11 / MHI / IMG NY
Location - Kingsize Studios
special thanks to Ultratec Thermalradar