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The Line of Beauty
by Usama Alshaibi
“My interest lies in trauma and ecstasy, a joy in not being concerned with the perfection of beauty.” says Baghdad-born, Chicago-based filmmaker Usama Alshaibi, who recently began shooting still photography with models and scenes inspired by his movies. With titles like Traumata, Convulsion Expulsion and Self-Contained (from which one of these images was taken), his films often depict images that highlight “the paradox of being aroused and being disgusted — where that line is drawn.” His garish neon color schemes and gaudy lipstick-and-eyeshadow smears remind us of a certain '80s-era Polynesian tiki bar where we used to go to try to find that line as well. — Will Doig