Feature: Olivia Crowe Reavey
Torso © Olivia Crowe Reavey
Written by Ashley Mercado
Photo Edited by Lucia Luzzani
Analog photographer Olivia Crowe Reavey earned her BFA in Photography at the Rhode Island School of Design. Reavy’s photography focuses on capturing nude men as a way of seeking redemption for how femininity was presented to her by the men in her life. “I was angry at how femininity had been explained to me by men- so frequently nude, soft, and easily consumed. So I began photographing nude men, as a way to regain some control, or level the playing field in a way,” says Reavey.
The Independent Art Fair is an amazing art fair that showcased many talented artists of different art backgrounds. Amongst these artists was Reavey whose work was recently featured in the fair alongside Oren Pinhassi in Helena Anrather’s booth. When it came to Reavey’s personal experience at the art fair she said, “I got to be a fly on the wall when people approached my work for the first time. It was really interesting, watching people react to photos of erections, and phalluses in general.”
Peeking © Olivia Crowe Reavey
Untitled © Olivia Crowe Reavey
Reavey’s images featured a range of nudity. Amongst these black and white images were nude men in public spaces where they are seen outside in nature as they are pictured on top of trees or surrounded by trees altogether. As well as images that include focusing on certain parts of a man’s body whether its armpits, skin flaps, pubic hairs, erections, etc. Her work also captures naked men in the presence of one another as they jovially look at each other smiling while touching one another. There is no limit to Reavey’s work when it comes to full-frontal nudity showing how determined and fearless she is in her quest of balancing out the playing field of how feminine and masculine archetypes are presented to her. Reavey not only successfully seeks redemption but explores the differing ways in which a body can be captured without there needing to be any sexual undertones. “In the past year, I’ve felt more inclined to understand what it means to have a body at all. I’ve been thinking about and making work as more of an expedition into flesh- photographing those growing and shrinking body parts- the pockets of an armpit, fat, and skin, a study of erections, an experiment in limbs,” says Reavey.
Laid © Olivia Crowe Reavey
Reavey’s photographic process is unlike many photographers who rather go the modern route of shooting digital photos. Reavey develops her photos in a dark room where she has the liberty of experimenting with her images hands-on instead of on a computer. This makes it possible for a lot of Reavey’s work to also include distorted images of men's naked bodies. “Printing my work in the darkroom is an integral part of my process and practice in general. I love to experiment with materials and chemistry when I work- I'll dunk a print in water and flash it with light before taking it to the stop bath, or I'll smear vaseline on the print and see how it affects the tones. A black hole is born into one photo because of a printing mishap. Bodies glow because I expose for too long by mistake,” says Reavey.
Untitled © Olivia Crowe Reavey
Untitled © Olivia Crowe Reavey
In the future, we can expect Reavey to delve deeper into studio-based photography where she will be capturing her friends in spaces that she has created herself.
