Luigi Ontani’s Artiglio Cartiglio (1982) is a meticulously staged photographic self-portrait that exemplifies his performative and symbolist approach to image-making. Encased within a circular, gilt frame that alludes to Renaissance tondi, the composition presents the artist costumed in a pearlescent blue suit, his face obscured by a stylised mask with serene, archaic features.Ontani holds two spiral shell-like forms to either side of the mask’s head, evoking both mythological and surrealist references—possibly echoing horns, ears, or scrolls, aligning with the title’s play on “artiglio” (claw) and “cartiglio” (cartouche or scroll). This photograph synthesises Ontani’s core concerns: the flu

In the Line of Fire is a powerful black-and-white photograph by David Yarrow, capturing a lion mid-stride with arresting clarity and compositional precision. Shot in 2024, the work exemplifies Yarrow’s signature approach to wildlife photography—dramatic close-ups, high contrast, and emotive intensity. The lion’s direct gaze and the rising dust underscore themes of majesty, confrontation, and survival. Characteristic of Yarrow’s oeuvre, the image blends raw naturalism with cinematic grandeur, reflecting his ongoing mission to spotlight the vulnerability and dignity of Earth’s most iconic creatures through meticulously composed, large-format photography.Photographed in South Africa.