Nov 18 2012
Why Naked?
I don’t know what the deal is with “modern” photography. I don’t want to unfairly categorize “modern” as one entire pool of indiscernable groups, but there is one, very large sect that confuses me. What’s with all the pictures of naked people? I feel as if the image of a bare human body is the easy way out for these photographers. They are trying to capture something provocative– visually, emotionally, and intellectually. Orwell describes poor writing as “reaching for ready-made phrases.” These represent the “ready-made” photograph– nakedness. Removing layers of clothing invokes ideas of getting to the truth while nakedness can also be pure, un-doctored. Sometimes these photographers will take the idea in the other direction making their work straight crass. As I walked through the New Photography Exhibit, people were staring at these photos with furrowed brows, allowing others to know they are “getting it.” Bullshit. Spend time looking at the collages of people from all over the world, or something like the photo of a bottle which “survived” an atomic bomb blast. Spend time looking at something which delivers real emotion, not something which is unoriginally playing on the relationship between human desire and purity. There probably are quality, original, provocative pieces which employ the image of the human body in the exhibit, but I unfortunately missed them in the sea of the “ready-made.”
courtesy of MOMA
I think it’s interesting that as describing some of your feelings about modern art, you choose to focus on nude photographs. The beauty of the human body has been glorified and zoomed upon throughout the generations. Ancient cultures including the Egyptians and Greeks emphasized the naked body, and I guess through the “ready-made” photographs, we still do today.
That’s a good point, but I still think it is the easy way out. At least in some cases. Why is there such a saturation of nude photography, sculptures, and some things I would call fixtures?
I think you really make a interesting yet valid point. I don’t exactly understand why but it seems nudity is often used (especially in the arts) as a breakthrough to another level. I feel it used to be somehow “original” to take such bold action but now especially when the media just constantly pours those images it has become more commercial and banal.