My second shoot with Clint enabled me to refine and recapture some body part images, but also to experiment with the use of a mask in an art nude shoot.
This crosses over with my performance body of work where I regularly use masks to add narrative to images.
In an effort to not produce a cliche image of a nude in a fetish mask, a Venetian style mask was chosen.
Clint wears the mask to conceal his identity. Photography normally presents us with an image in which the model is recognisable, so this adds narrative to the image. The viewer wonders who is behind the mask and why is he wearing it. The mask also adds an element of erotic tension for the viewer.
The mask enabled us to create images that we would not normally consider. By standing above Clint, I was able to portray him as a more vulnerable character, but without me appearing as too dominant and overpowering.
The juxtaposition of Clint’s toned and tattooed body against the delicacy of the masks is very interesting. The mask hides his facial expressions. Clint has no access to facial expressions with a mask, and so he must use his body to express everything. He was able to pull off soft expressions as well as poses that demonstrated strength and power.
The images were edited as a mixture of monochrome and colour images. This is because some of the images were enhanced by the mask colours.
The session was light-hearted and fun, with the masks giving a different feel to the images. Clint was more adventurous with poses, many of which would not have worked without the mask. Now there is more of a narrative than simply an art nude image.
The body part images shot in this session are below.
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