DirtRoad: Internal Intimacy

One of the joys of working on FH is discovering artists and images I might have never seen if I hadn't been looking... The search is half the fun especially when the results take you down such a beautiful DirtRoad. This past summer, I was fortunate to discover the work of model and photographer Warren Russell (DirtRoad) and was especially taken with his exterior images in the barn which I showcased in August, To The Woodshed!(Above Image)

 

When Warren sent along his self shot images, in addition to the set outside in the old barn, were these interior images. There were distinctly different emotions connected to this set,. a more personal and intimate feel, that it made more sense to present them separately.

There have been times when I have profiled or interviewed a photographer for the blog or tMf that the artist has discussed their preference to shoot within a model's home instead of a studio setting. The reasoning was usually comfortably as we are all most comfortable surrounded by things we are connected to and in a space we feel safe in. In is interesting to see images of models, completely naked, exposed and vulnerable yet at the same time the model, the images feel distant and even cold. What is often lacking is trust, either between model and photographer or more common, between model and him or herself.

In Warren's case, model and photographer are one in the same, and the setting, a place he not only knows well, but also a place that holds his secrets. When we shut our front door behind us, we are able to be ourselves, remove the public disguises we use for protection and feel totally relax.

The beautiful degree's of intimacy and sensuality Warren achieves within these images is not just due to the location, or the fact he is totally nude. It comes from the trust and connection between model and his body, demonstrated through facial expressions, pose and movement.

 

-DirtRoad on ModelMayhem-