Chloe Surreal Jak Knife Work 2021

Surreal frequently incorporates actual locking blades, often photographed mid-closure on a bare thigh or a pillow. Unlike the aggressive opening of a switchblade, the jackknife’s danger lies in its unwilled collapse . The blade snaps back onto the hand. Surreal’s still lifes capture this moment of betrayal: the tool turning against the user. In Untitled (Pink Handle, Morning) (2024), the blade’s edge aligns perfectly with a stretch mark on the model’s hip, suggesting that the body’s own history is a closing hinge.