This project is a branch of my previous series, Dudeoir, where I placed men in the spotlight so I could celebrate their sensuality. My goal was to show that their attractive features could have the same essence that many cultures place on women’s eroticism; a soft and delicate sensibility instead of the aggressive fantasy projected onto men.
I wanted to expand on this design with this series, Nude Colors: Hommes, but over the course that I have worked, new meanings began to shape my images. My original intent was scrutinized, and assumptions over my sexuality overtook the conversation in a project where I wanted to bridge the gap between women and men in the eyes of the public. The content of the images, along with my usage of color in this series was taken as me being a part of the LGBTQI+ community. It was with this criticism that I realized how Dudeoir and Nude Colors diversify the perceptions of how men can look at other men as.
So, I tried a different approach with my series Nude Colors; a more Formalist approach to the male nude using a different composition. Instead of showing the bodyscapes alone, integrating them with color swatches investigates how the structure of the male body is accentuated differently from other men. Adding color helps distinguish this relationship between the forms, as we see the transformation moving from one side to the other. This project is meant to be a unifier of men’s bodies, not to view them through the lens of homoeroticism, but to appreciate them in a way seldomly shown. I never planned for this to be about being a member of the LGBTQI+ community; I am not, therefore I cannot be a voice for them. I will not dispute the remarks made about their representation, they are crucial, but I would like to highlight the issue of assuming that I was. I am here to break the norm; let men value other men’s bodies without giving them a label.
Crimson
Tiger
Amber
Honey
Canary
Pear
Shamrock
Aquamarine
Ultramarine
Royal Amethyst
Heliotrope
