Back when I used to shoot on film, and develop it myself in the darkroom, I also rowed on the Portland State Crew Team. Despite the masochistic early-morning workouts, I loved it and was exposed to a range of shapes and sizes of strong, active bodies. The worst of my disordered eating had been 'resolved' but it was still really influential to be in the company of strong, gorgeous, and physically diverse women.
For one of my photo class projects, I convinced my boatmates to be my subjects. These were shot in one of the drawing studios on campus -- it was the only place I could think of that was free with enough space and controllable lighting -- on black and white analog film. Somewhere in my mom's attic I still have the negatives and prints I developed myself (complete with a fine scratch that runs along the bottom of most of the roll).
These shots feature a lot of themes that are recognizable in my paintings: a fixation on hands, limbs, and torsos cropped or abstracted from the whole body; keen attention to lighting and contrast. And they feel particularly relevant to the work I've been making the last couple of years and the multi-figure compositions I'm planning on making in the upcoming month.
Did you get my last email? In it, I offer the opportunity to sponsor the work I'm doing at ChaNorth. If you love original art, this is your chance to get your hands on an original piece at a fraction of my regular prices.
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