The Nude in Nature – and in Photography

Exhibition view arts & architecture gallery, Ottawa

Since photography is my academic specialization, I was very excited to see the current photography exhibition “The Nude in Nature” at the arts & architecture gallery in Ottawa. It shows some of the impressive results of a workshop that was let by the accomplished photographer Karin Rosenthal in Maine last year. The exhibit shows a broad spectrum of stylized depictions of the nude body with emphasis on the line and form of the human figure as part of the nature and landscape. 

Karin Rosenthal's works in "The Nude in Nature"

Rosenthal's (www.krosenthal.com) photographs have been published internationally and are represented in numerous museum collections, like e.g. the Yale University Art Gallery. She has received several grants and prizes including Grand Prize in the 2010 Renaissance International Photography Competition and First Prize in Nudes for the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Like the web site of the gallery states “Rosenthal’s work expands the concept of nude from the erotic to the metaphysical, seeing our bodies as vessels of Being within all of nature’s components.” Her black and white photographs that show a detail of the human body in front of a black background, and that gain geometric balance through reflecting surfaces, seem to refer to Man Ray. 

Photographs by Len Ward "Origami"

Indeed, most of the photographs in the exhibition seems to be inspired by renowned photographers of the first half of the 20th century. For example Len Ward's photo series of a model standing on a rock and holding a long, white scarf in the wind that creates astonishing effects, reminds me on German photographers of the 20s and 30s like Horst P. Horst, Erwin Blumenfeld and George Hoyningen-Huene. These photographs are examples for a classic elegance and style.

Photographs by Steve Schmidt

Steve Schmidt's nudes in landscape, curled up in a rock ledge covered with thousands of Balanidae reminds me strongly at Edward Weston with his photographs of female nudes, landscapes and vegetables. In his artist statements Steve writes that he wanted to explore the relationship between human and natural form, between people and environment, and people and their own image. 

Photographs by Tony Schwartz

This weekend the Nude in Nature photography workshop takes place once again, this time in Wakefield. Again it's led by Rosenthal and I am already pretty curious to see the results at the arts & architecture gallery soon...

Facts:

arts & architecture gallery

The Nude in Nature

August 17-28, 2011

1181 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K1S 3X7

http://www.artsandarchitecture.ca/

Works by:

Karin Rosenthal
Judith Monteferrante
Tony Schwartz
Trish Wright
Steve Schmidt
Sukumar
Len Ward