AMBER-JAYNE BAIN
MONARCH and THE DEMISE
FROM THE SERIES FIGUREHEAD
The passing of Queen Elizabeth, and subsequent coronation of King Charles, though long anticipated, took me a little by surprise. This change is both inconsequential and significant. A line of kings will succeed, and as a woman who has seen a queen on the throne for my entire life, I feel this shift as a kind of loss. The figureheads we look to have, in so many arenas, been male, yet our Queen was always a counterbalance in visible power. Media stories pit the royal women, in particular, against one another. A sense of royal dignity has been undermined in recent years, peaking with the tabloid-level drama of Harry and Meghan. Where Her Majesty expected to represent the interests of all of the commonwealth, it seems that division is now the norm.
For many people, though, her family signify the things that are wrong with inherited power. The cost of upholding the monarchy, exploitation of indigenous people, and titles that are awarded without merit are among many objections to the crown. And although the role of the royal family in contemporary society is more symbolic than effectual, many long for the abolition of the monarchy and all that they represent.
Here a queen is represented, stepping into the light of public service, wearing a hand-made crown of battered foil, representing the perceived nobility of the monarchy. This crown depicts a people who, united, make up the nations she oversees. The blue gown is a symbol of royalty, her face is turned almost in profile, in the manner of the legal tender she graces. Face uplifted, she demonstrates strength and pride.
ABOUT AMBER-JAYNE
Amber-Jayne Bain is an award-winning photographic artist based in Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington, where she loves making carefully crafted portraits of interesting people.
She hasn’t always been this though. A Paekakariki childhood of seaside rambles and craft projects, an art history degree and some serious time teaching in secondary and tertiary education (some of that in English Literature, some in Photography). Following that, time as a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys. This collection of experiences informs everything that happens on a shoot. Whether In the studio or on location, her style incorporates a light quality that is evocative and dimensional, drawing upon memory and heritage. Amber-Jayne is highly versatile, working with brands to produce photographs that are visually arresting, answering the specific needs of the brief, always, always striving to pair truth and beauty.
Her photographic art practice is delving into themes that expose her own preoccupations with psychology, art theory, history, faith and feminism. She is currently completing a Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, while juggling the demands of a busy client workload and a full family life, mostly from the little office she and her husband built at the back of their property just after the first lockdown. It’s pretty basic, but the cat has her own bed on the mezzanine above the iMac, and the cups of Dilmah are only a minute’s walk away.