Another in a series of images based on the idea of "Academy" figures - nudes taken very early in the history of photography, meant to provide examples of classical poses for art students. Of course, as in every mode of pictorial representation man has devised, from cave paintings to the internet, the nude was one of the first subjects produced. The "Academy" images protected the photographer from prosecution, but many of the images produced were little more than pornography; especially the female nudes. There was also a booming market in outright porn, in the form of couples photographed in the act. In view of the excruciatingly slow exposure times, it must have been a challenge for all concerned, but they rose above it.
The stigma of producing nudes, especially male nudes, still rears its head in our "enlightened" age, when we go out of our way to describe our work as "Fine Art" nudes - code for "respectable".
The model here was a close friend and neighbor, and a delightful model, always ready for anything.
The medium is black and white film.
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