Sharp: Dangerous beauty
By Angelina Puschkarski
![Guido Mocafico, Serpens: Agkistrodon contortrix, 2002, © Guido Mocafico, courtesy of Hamiltons](https://i0.wp.com/centmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Mocafico-Serpens-Agkistrodon-Contortrix-S17-2002-300x236.jpg?resize=580%2C410)
Explore the most dangerous creatures, photographed across the world, in Hamiltons fourth exclusively online exhibition. Guido Mocafico’s trilogy Venenum: Serpens, Aranea and M
Serpens depicts a vast collection of snakes, including vipers and cobras; Aranea, a selection of tarantulas from the Theraphoside family and Medusa, a beguiling yet unnerving selection of jellyfish.
![Guido Mocafico, Serpens: Elaphe guttata, 2003, © Guido Mocafico, courtesy of Hamiltons](https://i0.wp.com/centmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Mocafico-Serpens-Elaphe-guttata-S42-2003.jpg?resize=580%2C410)
Mocafico‘s intention is to provoke a reaction – his images incite the most conflicting of human emotions, which he himself experienced whilst photographing.
“I have always been terrified by these reptiles, but I also find them terribly fascinating. I felt a sort of repulsion-attraction for these living creatures.”
His vivid portrayal of the creatures highlighted against a black background plays with a combination of repugnance yet admiration for their beauty – dangerous and dark.
Visit http://www.hamiltonsgallery.com/exhibitions/95/overview until May 13th for dark encounters with the world’s most beautiful and respectful creatures.