Jack: Fine Art Nudes and the Male Form
Warning: nudity
Every photographer should have a muse – or two – that when I say, “Let’s go do something fun,” they reply, “I’m in!”
Jack is one of my muses, a model whose good looks are matched with a charming personality and joie de vivre. Recently, I wanted to create some scenes with a Southern Gothic vibe to them. I kept thinking of the work of the photographer Gregory Crewdson, as well as the writing of Flannery O’Connor. Now, Jack has the lean, “country preacher” look, sort of the “dark man” who could be bringing you salvation or could be bringing you death. Yes, we went there, but not in this set of pictures, at least.
We found an old abandoned cabin with a great back room facing a forest. Even better, in one of the rooms in the cabin was an old, rusted bed stand. A little lifting and we had a scene in place.
Now, before you read further, yes, there is some nudity. The nude human figure has been an art form for sculpture, painting, and photography for centuries. And I think it is beautiful and it can be done tastefully. Judge for yourself.
Some people will say it is “dudeoir,” a play on the word boudoir. Well, it is “boudoir” if you think about what a boudoir was. It was a place of intimacy – whether a boudoir or “dressing room,” mostly used for men, it was more than just a place to change clothes. People read and wrote letters, they daydreamed, they might even have invited a confidante in to discuss someone or something. To me, “boudoir photograohy” is more voyeuristic and photojournalism, because what it does is offer a glimpse into the subject’s private moments. I know a lot of women want to do boudoir to “feel empowered” or just show off the lingerie they purchased, and some of the poses are just too stylized for my tastes. I prefer a person – woman or man – in a setting and allow the light to show their form.
What do you think?