January Recap

2012-02-04T04:17:00.000-08:00

January was amazing.

I've had a chance to work with amazing new designers and models, not to mention upgrading my equipment and going from 8mpx to 22 + full crop!

I also shot my first motion editorial video for the quirky Lagom designs which will be ready soon and possibly used as a commercial.

But most importantly of all I got featured on VOGUE Italia's website. How do I feel about it? Satisfied, surprised, pleased but mostly motivated. It's little things like this that make you want to keep doing what you're doing but do it better and try harder to succeed.

February holds a lot of exciting events as well - stay tuned for updates!

Model - Gaelle Girard/MUA - Mika Hurukawa/Designer - Sarmite Ostanevica

Child Nudity in Photography: Art or Abuse?

2008-12-20T03:22:00.000-08:00

A matter of considerable controversy in the world of art at present is whether to allow the usage of nudity among underage models or not. While artists claim that nudes are only used for conveying concepts and ideas, the opposite viewpoint states that this is clear child abuse and legal actions ought to be taken in order to prohibit exhibition of such works. In spite of these controversial opinions, it is worth looking deeper into the problem before recklessly agreeing with either one of them.

First of all, the root of the argument lies in the eye of the beholder. If a person’s sub-conscious registers pornography when there is none, it is an individual’s personal issue that has nothing to do with the artist or his ideas. Bill Henson, for instance, is a remarkable modern photographer who has been accused of pedophilia when his 2007-2008 exhibition at Sydney’s Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery was about to launch in May 2008. The exhibit was comprised of a great number of photographs, many of which were of naked children in their early teens. The police confiscated several prints, which the press and the public immediately claimed to be “absolutely revolting”, from the gallery after receiving numerous disturbing phone-calls from concerned citizens. As a result, this incident provoked a great discussion among the people, traces of which are still to be seen. Furthermore, Henson was brought to court, yet the prosecutor pleaded not guilty and the photographer was let free. Of course, cons-Hensons were not satisfied with the judge’s decision and such statements as "a great day for pedophiles, a sad day for Australia" appeared in the local newspapers. Obviously, Bill Henson, as an artist, did not put any pornographic meaning as the basis of the child portraitures he took. Instead, he only wanted to make controversial artworks that confronted the audiences over the nature of childhood and various paradoxical statements. This case is a clear warning that sets us thinking whether we want to lose the right to visually record the early stages of human development via art or not.

On the other hand, it is possible to understand concerned parents. Few people would like to have their young children photographed, even by a famous artist, with no clothes on. Parents are mostly afraid that such actions may harm their off springs, either physically or psychologically, so they start revolting against the artists and try to take them to court in order to lower the risks. Secondly, a psychological problem may also have influence on their reaction. As nowadays children grow extremely fast due to the rapid rhythm of life, parents may be scared that such aspects as participation or contemplation of artistic nudes may increase the speed of their mental development even more. It is obvious that parents want to stay connected to their children for as long as possible, which leads to exclaminations for banning child nudity in art, especially in photography.

On average, the reason why some claim art to be abuse is that modern society is being over-sensitive about censorship. Furthermore, it is common that people are trained to think that nudity is not acceptable and is wrong, before even having a chance to form their own opinion first. As a result, artistic nudes and pornography are often confused. In order to solve the problem, one must, first of all, know and understand that artistic nude and pornography do not cross roads and are produced for totally different reasons and purposes. Moreover, one should keep in mind that no shootings of underage children, no matter if naked or not, are ever conducted without the permission of the model’s parents. In other words, they should not be scared that something will happen to their precious children, because blind fear usually leads nowhere and only causes a burst of indignation.

(The image on the top is one of Henson's works)

Andy Warhol - More Than a Campbell Can Soup King.

2008-11-30T05:34:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol is probably among the most famous -and doubted- artists of the 20th century. However, although a lot of people are familiar with his Brillo Boxes & Campbell Cans, he was more than that.
Andy was the first person who brought supermarket to an art gallery. Some may say it’s not art, but, in my opinion, by saying this they would be totally wrong.
His works, no matter which ones - centuries icons, cans or disasters-, have more to it than your eye can spot at the first sight.
I, for instance, was always fond of Warhol. There was something about the way he saw things. After reading ‘The Life & Works of Andy Warhol’ by Trewin Copplestone, I finally realised what it was that attracted me so much. It’s the way he takes an everyday object, such as soap or can, and puts a great meaning
into it.
And must I say - it works! It really does. So, next time you come across a Warhol-something, try to THINK. Things are much easier than they seem to be.

words & pictures

January Recap

Child Nudity in Photography: Art or Abuse?

Andy Warhol - More Than a Campbell Can Soup King.