With this series of photos, I wanted to create my own version of some of the famous Tarot cards from the Marseille version. Since the cards are filled with symbolic elements, I decided to keep the human figure as the only real thing in the photo, combined with graphic elements to portray the rest of the card. I chose some of the cards with a single person on them and did my own version, having analyzed the original drawing before, to get in touch with the card. I have studied Graphology for a year, which is the analysis of handwriting and its connection to different aspects of personality, where one of the main things to take into consideration is the space of the page that is used, considering each quadrant a different aspect in time, social life and spirituality.
Using that knowledge I tried to recreate the meaning of the card and found out that what I could understand from them was not very far from what they are supposed to mean. Beneath each card is a small fraction of my own analysis from them. I asked the models to have a resting face, trying to erase any expression from their faces, so the elements in the picture would not be transformed by an underlying intention of the character.
Le Mat, The Fool, is the first or last card of the deck since it is the only one which doesn't have a number given. The character creates a sharp diagonal from bottom left towards upper right corner, not only with his body but also with his gaze, showing his desire for the unknown, the future, and the idea of stepping out of his comfort zone.
He is one of the only characters that is moving. With his left arm, he is carrying his small bag of belongings, crossed in front of his body, almost as if he was choking himself with his baggage. The dog behind him is either playing with him or asking him to stay.
La Papesse, The High Priestess, represents a woman filling almost every space in the card, showing someone important and with great power. She is holding a book, which is almost as big as the only visible things of her body, giving a huge importance to the words written.
She is looking to the past, feeling comfortable with traditions, relying on what has been working so far. She has a strict look, based on her years of knowledge.
Le Pape, The Pope, represents a man filling the whole card, holding his hand with two fingers pointing towards the direction of where he is looking at, which is the right side of the card, the future and what's to come.
He doesn't pay attention to the subjects beneath him, but they are both looking up to him in the third lower part of the card, showing he has hierarchy over them, teaching them not only through words but also through example and from experience.
Le Chariot, The Chariot, represents a man who is closer to the upper area of the card, giving him a feeling of moral superiority from which he stands and judges everything beneath him. In addition, he is standing over a carriage, with no real connection between his feet and the ground, separating him from reality. He is looking to the past, and so are his horses, reinforcing the idea of his vision of what is right. He is not moving on the chariot, but the environment changes with every step of the horses.
One of the things that caught my eye the first time I saw this card was the drawing of two faces resting upon the man's shoulders. I interpreted as if they were his heritage on his shoulders, as an imposed role on society, or the heritage of the souls he conquered in order to get where he is standing.
La Force, Strength, is portrayed as a young woman, taking place in the middle of the card, and filling its whole height. She looks calm while she has her hands opening a lion's mouth. As she is looking to the right side, the future, she seems to be a person who is in control of the situation.
She is someone who knows she can overcome the problem between her hands, without any effort. She is also determined and familiar with the strength she has and looks still while her hands are in complete tension.
Temperance represents a woman who fills the entire card. Her gaze is fixed on the past, creating a diagonal from her face towards the center of the card, which is the same angle the water goes from one vessel to the other.
The wings behind her give the impression of her being an angel, with a sort of serenity bound to her movements. The water seems to be floating and not falling as it would normally do, giving us the impression of a suspension in time.
L'Etoile, The Star, is portrayed by a woman kneeling on the ground, filling the lower half part of the card, giving her a strong connection to reality and nature. She is naked in the night, giving a sense of vulnerability, while she looks calm and focused on her body and mind.
She is pouring water into a river that feeds trees on a desert and behind her, there is a tree with what seems to be a crow at the level of her head. The crow could represent the dark thoughts she has to live with, while she looks to the places she is comfortable with, with serenity.
