Eva, 2006 Archival Epson Pigment Print, 44 x 58 Jock Sturges New Large-Format Color Photographs Frank Bernarducci and Louis K. Meisel are pleased to announce the solo exhibition of new large scale photographs by Jock Sturges. The sensitive subject matter of his work has sparked controversy over the years. Yet these photographs, typically of nude adolescent girls, don't portray their subjects as sexual, but rather as natural, albeit sensual beings. Sturges, who over the years has developed close ties with his models and their families, captures his subjects in their inherent states. Both the artist himself, and the people he photographs, are Naturists. Thus, they express no shame or shyness as they conceive of nudity not as sexual but as a natural part of our very existence. It is this mindset which makes these images so successful. When the FBI seized his work in 1990 claiming it violated child pornography laws, critics and collectors were outraged. However, the debate as to where to draw the line between art and pornography remains as poignant today as ever. In this most recent exhibition, Sturges continues to test the boundaries of artistic photography. There is undeniably a shock ingredient to these photographs. Take for example Birke et al, in which four young girls, all nude, stand together in the frame of a doorway. While there is certainly a sensual aspect to the image, there is nothing sexual in their poses. This is a necessary distinction to make as the focus is not on the deliberate nakedness of these girls but on composition and the human form itself. Using a large format 8 x 10 camera, Sturges records real people living their everyday lives. Each of his subjects retains their personality and identity in the photographs, creating not only a sense of naturalism but an emotional and intimate sensation as well. In "Vanessa," a young woman stands in the doorway of her home. With one hand resting on the frame of the door and her gaze directed straight at the camera, her pose is relaxed and unobtrusive. Using a most intimate setting, the model's own home, we are inclined to see her as a human being and not simply a naked woman. This "muted eroticism" is repeated throughout Sturges work as seen, for example, in "Clarice". Here, a young woman looks out over a sandy beach. Her back is to the viewer so we cannot see her face, yet the naturalness of her pose almost suggests that she is unaware even of the presence of the camera. Jock Sturges received his B.F.A. in perceptual psychology and photography from Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont and his M.F.A. in Photography at the San Francisco Art Institute. He has exhibited widely in the United States as well as in France and Japan. His photographs are included in numerous collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Exhibition: 2 December 2006 - 6 January 2007 Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 10 am - 5:30 pm Bernarducci Meisel Gallery 37 West 57th Strett USA-New York, NY 10019 Telephone +1 212 593 3757 Fax +1 212 593 3933 Email frankb@meiselgallery.com www.bernarduccimeisel.com |
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