Bathing in the blue light of advertising’s stylised plenitude, the Madonna and child are re-imagined in a suburban living room, sunk into a plush leather armchair as the sticky panacea of strawberry-pink paracetamol lingers in the air.
The Smell of Calpol on a Warm Summer's Night blurs the line between reality and fiction. Framed like paintings, each image is a cinematic tableau of Suburbia, with a warm glow of neon light reminiscent of hazy evenings spent in front of TV screens. Carlos Clarke presents a glance into others' living rooms and domestic environments, offering an eerie portrayal of twilight.
The publication also features an exclusive text by writer, Nathalie Olah.
Edition of 300
24 Pages, 8 images
Softcover
360 x 280 mm, landscape
ISBN 978-1-917282-01-7
About the artist
Scarlett Carlos Clarke (b. London 1992) is a photographer living and working in the UK. She has exhibited across Europe and the US, including her debut solo show at Cob Gallery, London (2021): The Smell of Calpol on a Warm Summer’s Night. She has produced editorial content for Dazed & Confused, AnOther, iD, and W Magazine, and has directed music videos.
About the author
Nathalie Olah is an author with an interest in class and propaganda. Her books include Bad Taste (Dialogue Books, 2023) an exploration of the intersection between consumerism, class, desire and power; Sarah Lucas: Happy Gas (Tate Publishing, 2023) and Steal As Much As You Can (Repeater Books, 2019).
In the Press
Burping babies, TV dinners, dirty slippers - Plaster Magazine
The night: a photography special - The Financial Times
Scarlett Carlos Clarke's unsettling photos of domestic alienation - Dazed