Exhibition Review: Mostly Nude
Michelle Behennah, Vivienne Westwood, Paris, 1994
© Gavin Bond, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Written by Jaden Zalkind
Copy Edited by Kee’nan Haggen
Photo Edited by Olivia Castillo
Hamilton’s Gallery presents Mostly Nude, an exhibition that comprises iconic images by some of photography’s most influential artists. Artists take on the many shifts the nude genre has undergone in photography and promote individuality in different art medians. Artists featured include Nobuyoshi Araki, Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton, and many more.
Naomi Seated, Hollywood, 1991
© Herb Ritts, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Herb Ritts has worked with various models, photographers, musicians, and others to inspire his work. In the photograph by Ritts, he captures Naomi Campbell, the original supermodel of the 1990s. Campbell is an icon and sparked representation of race and diversity in modeling and fashion. Cindy Crawford, another iconic supermodel, also worked with Ritts and described her experience with him as much different than other photographers she’s worked with. She said he allowed the models to choose how they wanted people to view them as opposed to other photographers forcing models into a metaphorically finished photograph.
Georgia O’Keeffe’s Pastels, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Research Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2010
© Annie Leibovitz, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Among this exhibition's pieces, a few photographs omit the human body. Annie Leibovitz’s “Georgia O’Keeffe’s pastels” are a part of one of the artist's most personal series. This photograph features space and objects the artist represents. The nude photos constitute the model's individuality, while the pastels represent the artist's distinctiveness in her profession. The pastels in this photograph are within a wooden box, separated by colors. We can see every color that O’Keeffe used the most and the ones she used lightly, allowing us to see deeper into her workflow.
Mature Series, Cindy C., 78, 1999
© Erwin Olaf, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Mostly Nude aims to show how the shifts in the nude genre permeate differently in each artist and their work, whether that is the continuity of values from classicism, parody, or shock. The viewer can see the timeline of the nude photographs, how it has evolved throughout the years, and the authentic artistic meaning of the genre. Erwin Olaf’s featured piece from his matured series titled “Cindy C.” captures a mature woman wearing only underwear and heels sitting atop a stationary bicycle. Olaf created this series to rebel against society’s obsession with young beauty, showing viewers that beauty isn’t age restricted.
Hamilton Gallery’s Mostly Nude comprises many artists and photographs, showcasing how the nude genre has evolved. From pictures of international supermodels and influential figures in the nude to images of an artist's pastels, this exhibition encapsulates individuality.
Pamela Anderson, 1990
© Sante D'Orazio, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
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