Above:
Clinton by Robert J. Guttke
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Sunday, March 27, 2016
A Vintage Vantage:
One of the first early promotional subscription ads for the debut of Playgirl Magazine in 1973.
Guttke Photography: Propped Into Shape
Ladder Day Saints
'I suppose there is that fascination in photographing genitals and then moving on to the next set... but even naughty bits have to be part of SOME composition otherwise it is just voyeurism. Well, at least in my opinion.'
'It is all about shapes. The back view photo is especially notable because lifting one foot to the ladder rung creates two differently shaped volumes of butt cheeks. This appealing to the eye, even if you don't really understand what is happening. It's what is marvelous about the human figure- that collision of body parts that creates that ballet of movement even if the body is not moving.'
'With this series with Clinton, I took a sculptural approach to a body making marvelous use of a simple prop. The prop was an example of how to present His body at its best. Not very pornographic since he is not making love with the ladder, the ladder is providing wonderful possibilities to show off a wonderful physique. A prop is only as good when it can help the figure excel.'
'I capture mankind at its ideal best. Working with people who happen to look good for a fleeting time: long or short. The challenge is to take their physical gifts created in the gym or just by happenstance and make them better. There has been the occasional criticism about the extreme poses but this does not concern me. I have photographed my share of people who can only lean against a wall yet I still want the context within that shape to be fascinating. Others can be taken to athletic heights or entwined to delight the eye. The reality is fantasy. Even my subjects have said they don't look the same until I have wrapped them in light and shadow...'
'The Greek and Roman sculptors portrayed their gods, legendary heroes, kings, warriors and athletes in more than mortal nobility; endowing them with ideal properties in which ordinary people recognize their own best potentialities. They were left nude not to arouse carnality but admiration. The Platonic ideal (embraced by Michelangelo & Co.) states a perfect human body is visible evidence of a man's potential grandeur, his ideal self.'
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