A sense of intimacy – or the illusion thereof – is achieved through extreme close-ups with an almost tactile physicality, even if only a bare thigh or arm is visible in the frame. In viewing these images, we sense a tender, tentative exploration of the female body with the camera such visions are likely only possible through the medium of photography. His photographic nudes, be they more observational or posed, are as enigmatic as his films. The images were created both parallel to and independently of Lynch’s cinematic work, which sometimes contains sexual allusions and actions. He also chose a large presentation format, enabling most of his female models to appear larger than life these 25 motifs were selected and printed exclusively and for the first time for this exhibition in Berlin. Lynch decided during the working process to shoot from unexpected perspectives and establish strong contrasts between light and shadow. These are abstract images of the body, in which details can fill the entire frame, mostly in black and white, a few in color, and only upon closer examination can we associate them with the human body. Taken half a century later mostly in Lodz and Los Angeles, they were first published in book form by Fondation Cartier in Paris in 2017, under the title Nudes. In the nudes by David Lynch (*1946) we might encounter a visual atmosphere similar to that in Leiter’s works. They all reflect the photographer’s subtle, sensitive, almost shy approach to the female body and spirit. Not all of the women are naked, but surprisingly this hardly makes a difference. In this part of the exhibition, we encounter small-format nude portraits depicting one or more women as they recline on sofas, become silhouettes against the light, seem lost in thought with a cigarette in hand, casually dress or undress, and pose for Leiter’s camera with a smile or seduction. Also on display is a ten-part series of timeless color shots of a half-nude young woman on the terrace of a house by the sea, taken in 1958 in Lanesville, Massachusetts, as well as 15 of Leiter’s hand-colored, black-and-white prints in various formats, which reflect his intensive relationship with the medium of painting. These tiny gelatin silver prints, with their jagged edges and amorphous shapes, are almost like a second exhibition in miniature. While about half of the selection on display is framed and on the wall, the other half is presented in an exhibition vitrine as snippets, fragmented by Leiter himself. Newton created an incomparable body of work, full of subtle seduction and timeless elegance, especially in the nude genre. His series Naked and Dressed, which marks the transition from fashion to nudes in his work, and his Big Nudes made him world-famous in the 1980s and inspired countless photographers and other visual artists to imitate or re-interpret them. Helmut Newton began photographing nudes in the 1970s, both independently and incorporated into his fashion photography, and worked in this genre until the end of his life in 2004. His photographic nudes, sometimes more observational, sometimes more posed, are as enigmatic as his films. In his abstract images, details often fill the frame only upon closer examination can we associate them with the human body and compare them to our own in our mind’s eye. Many of them are in black and white a few are in color. We encounter a similar visual atmosphere in the nudes of David Lynch, taken almost half a century later mostly in Lodz and Los Angeles. The images are subtle, sensitive, almost shy approaches to the female body and spirit. His female models were friends or lovers, whom the artist portrayed in his New York apartment not all of them are entirely undressed. Saul Leiter, parallel to his fashion photography for Harper’s Bazaar and the colorful abstractions he captured on the streets of New York from the 1950s onwards, also photographed nudes in the studio.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |