11 Oct 06 by Hanjo Schmidt
As I've already said I do not "invent" my theme in the meaning of creating kind of an "own world". As far as my subject, the human body, is concerned, I try to avoid taking it as a mere object or a pretext for the interpretation of underlying issues. And I do not paint a model sitting in my studio in the flesh, to avoid the well known pose of the "reclining nude"€. Instead, I use a camera and make them move. I try to keep the body as free of prejudice as possible, and to exclude everything with a meaning beyond the body itself: clothing in the first place, but also posing that is targeted at a viewer by sending off erotic and other signals. There is a long tradition that women in particular have to hide their bodies; if they don't, this is perceived as an invitation to see and use their body as a sex object. This bias towards sex with a tinge of dirtiness is what I would call the "pornographication"€ of the human body. It misses the point that, above all else, the female as much as the male body is the place human beings inhabit. It's their most private and lifelong home. So there must be much, much more to be said about it. And this is what I am trying to explore. As said I use a camera. This is the first part of the "€žprocess". I do not tell my models how to act. Only in a very general way. So they are free to express themselves as they like. These photos are my drafts, the raw material I use. I have never shown one of these photos but do now here for they show how I work with my models and ... this for Sheila ... that they have lots of fun modelling. Even when they play parts of their roles (they are all actors) for my emotion series. Okay, so far for now.

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the body
the body

the body
the body

the body
the body

the body
the body

the body
the body