Browsing by Author "Laudon, Rachel S."

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Nude to line
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2004) Laudon, Rachel S.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert R. Smith
The subject of each image is the nude. When shooting I used two models and focused on the details of line and contrast between the two bodies. While nude imagery lends itself well to the entire range between literal representation and abstraction, I concentrated on creating abstract compositions of line and form. I have always been fascinated by the reoccurrence of patterns of line and form in both the human body and nature. I have photographed different scenes on different scales in nature and after viewing the final prints, the repetitive shapes and lines, specifically the soft, subtle, and seemingly perfect curve reveals itself. While the sexual essence of classic nude imagery, utilizing the whole of the human body, is often obvious and unmistakable, in this body of work I sought to capture a more ambiguous and androgynous sexuality. I sought to capture pure sexual essence. Both humans and the nature around them exude a similar sexual or sensual essence that becomes obvious to me while I am shooting that expresses itself in recognizable forms from sand dunes to flowers. By ever increasing the size of the images, the grain of the image begins to separate which aids in the conception of lines, shapes and forms I see in nature. The grain of an enlarged image creates some distortion making it difficult to distinguish what part of the body one is viewing. This produces a sense of mystery, which flows within the same path as the ambiguity of line in nature. I have sought to produce a line the human eye can follow from one image to the next by use of composition, physical placement of each image, and the lack of any foreign objects such as; frames, glass, nails and other traditional methods of displaying photographs. The images become a single installation of the essence of natural sexuality and sensuality. The sheer size of the images intensifies that essence.