The Boyfriend Casting

Rosie Harriet Ellis (b. 1991, British) presents her debut book, The Boyfriend Casting, a deeply intimate and daring exploration of love, consent, and objectification. As articulated by Charlotte Jansen in the foreword, it is at once “a cold, clinical, almost anatomical study of the male form,” while also revealing the personal and emotional dimensions of Ellis’ journey.

The work began after an ex-boyfriend retracted his consent to be part of a photographic project, forcing Ellis to reconsider her approach to intimacy and image-making. This act of rejection triggered a profound desire for a new partner—both romantically and creatively. Over a five-year period, Ellis used the camera as a therapeutic tool, accompanying her through a complex emotional landscape of grief, yearning, and the exploration of reversed objectification.

As a photographer capturing her lovers, Ellis’ diverse photographic styles document her coming-of-age passage. Through raw, honest imagery and diary-like reflections, The Boyfriend Casting unveils the contradictions and complexities of love, obsession, and the blurred lines between personal and artistic expression.