THE NUDE FIGURE
It is no exaggeration to claim that the human figure, particularly its depiction as the nude, is the most explored genre in Western art. The human figure evokes a wide range of feelings, judgments, and responses. One person’s pride is another’s shame. In modern times the internet has contaminated the status of the nude figure as a respected photographic art form. There’s now a whole generation of people who equate the nude in photography with the nude in pornography and fail to understand the difference. Traditionally the nude has always conjured a battle of opinions between those who appreciate the tradition of the human figure in the visual arts with those who uphold the prudish view of the body as a subject of shame to be hidden. Sexuality is a divisive subject, and the human body sits at the centre of this discourse both celebrated and scorned, but always observed.
THE PORTRAITS
Identity is somewhat of an enigma. ‘Who am I?’ is the simplest of questions, yet can it ever truly be known? Is the sense of self, the “I am,” a conceptual form that begins at birth or before? Perhaps better labeled as "I-density", it is the “I” that experiences itself in physical form. A boundless concept yet contained within a corporeal form qualified by the succession of moments that become the stories and struggles of a lifetime.
My interest in identity and the search for meaning have informed my portrait practice. Superficial portraits aimed at flattering the subject, though common in studio-based portraiture, have never been my primary focus. The soul of things has coloured my world view. The identity of the people I photograph, as well as my own, has become intertwined with the concept of the soul, if such a thing exists. Perhaps this is a by-product of my Catholic upbringing. In my twenties, I began exploring spirituality. From New Age literature to esoteric channelled writings and Buddhist philosophy, I read with insatiable hunger for an understanding. At the core of this quest were fundamental questions about identity: How has all this come to be? And how am I a conscious being amidst the awe-inspiring mind blowing enigma that is reality itself?
As a child, I used to ponder whether this is all a dream. Years later, I encountered a similar idea in Buddhist teaching, which views reality as an illusion. It suggests that our perception of both the subject and the object arises from consciousness. Non-materialist fringe science increasingly adopts the view that our world view is a projection of the mind rather than an objective reality. As James Jeans states in his work The Mysterious Universe, “The universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine.”
In Buddhist understanding, identity is an accumulation of body, feelings, perceptions, thoughts and senses. In other words, identity is multi layered and unlikely to be adequately summarised in a portrait. My approach to photographing people has centred around identity from a soul perspective or a deeper level sense of being.
Before each studio session, I would ask the participant to ponder the concept of identity in the days leading up to their sitting. I requested that they write a response to one of two questions and bring it with them: (1) “Who are you, really?” or (2) “What is your message to the world?” Many found this task quite challenging. Some intertwined their identity with their profession or with activities that define them. The message to the world was often an affirmation directed at themselves.
In essence, I was asking the participants to consider the same question I have asked myself since childhood: “Who am I?” To this day, I have never been able to truly answer this, not entirely, not sufficiently. I pose this question to them not to find an answer but to initiate a thought process, one of self-reflection that would thematically underpin the photographic session.
Finally, I would also ask them to bring an object, knowing that, in the context of a photographic image, the object becomes a symbol; a fragment from the subconscious; a metaphor.
Many of the portraits display a quietness, which has led me to wonder: Is it them I am photographing, or is it me? I consider it more plausible that the portraits are a coming together. Not entirely representative of the subject, but also to some degree, a reflection of myself.
Graeme Wienand
Model: Britainia Flower
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PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPEARED IN THIS SITE: Aisia Hamson, Alex Pychtin, Alex Siegers, Ally Moulis, Alyssa Quinlan, Asha Gillard, Ashley McHenry, Ben Gerrard, Benjamin Monger, Ben Stokes, Bevan Vickers, Bianca Wolf, Brenna, Britainia Flower, Caitlin Jill Hunter, Charlotte Westerlundh, Chloe Rosenburg, Craigh Pratt, Darko Kubatka, Emma Floreani, Fran Elmasri, Georgia Sanchez, Huntar Towers, Jasmin Louise, Jasmine Ghazi, Jayme Edwards, Jeff Hamilton, Katie Bostelaar, Lara Carpenter, Leonardo Selinas, Louise Herd, Luke Lamers, Marc Cottrell, Melissa Atkinson, Narelle Dunkley, Niamh Coppola, Nicole Clayton, Olivia Ambrose, Owen Taylor, Rachel Burges, Raphaelle Perigot, Rob Sutherland, Rosa Salvator, Sarah Vassallo, Seaton Kay-Smith, Simon Wheeler, Simone Thornett, Stephanie Micallef, Steve McGrath, Taku Rogers, Tony Burns, Vanessa Black, Will Killin, Zac Hennesy
Graeme Wienand Photo Artist - Lithgow NSW, Australia