REVERSALS

Edward Lucie-Smith, British art critic and photographer wrote, “Our inherited conventions for representing the nude, especially where an element of eroticism is involved, have now for several centuries been based on the female rather than the male body… posed to express allure, invitation, vulnerability, and surrender.” Many feminists have consciously inverted this role by using irony to depict male nudes in similar poses. (Refer to Linda Nochlin’s 1972 Buy my Bananas.) Yet, does this strategy break the stereotypes of representation or merely confirm the conventions of nudity without trying to understand what it is to be a male posing naked in front of a camera?
In my own work focusing on male nudes, I’ve attempted to refute the strategy of using direct satire, instead finding postures and poses that correspond to the personality of the man being photographed. Inspired by the works of Karen Tweedy Holmes I strive to challenge the stereotypes developed for nudes of our gender. Karen Tweedy Holmes began taking photographs of male nudes in 1967. At the time she objected to the fact that, in America, the concept of the nude had come to signify woman rather than being a generic term indicating either sex. She also rejected the concept of photographing professional models, preferring to represent friends in order to avoid the art-class clichés and the emotional barrier that use of a professional model might raise.
There is a familiarity and playfulness evident in some of my works, especially the images of Isaac (visit www.candacenicol.com ). Because we developed a strong friendship during grad school, the images of Issac show candor and relaxed personality. In a conversation about the work, Isaac stated:

It’s a different feeling being the model for these than it is simply criticizing them from the outside. I think the ones featuring me are pretty compelling. Especially the one where I’m removing a sock. It’s definitely not what one would think of as an objectifying pose; however the inclusion of some clothing, but not the pants, adds emphasis to the sexual nature of the picture. There’s an uncomfortability for me as a viewer, though the model (who is also me) seems totally at ease, not violated.

The development of trust and rapport with the model are key factors in the success of my work. A relaxed intimacy, both on the part of myself and the model seems to be achieved, allowing for insight into a different side of masculinity.