'Thinking about the old marble statues I took my classic stance, but also added a bit of awe and wonderment as if I was a nude native in the past and come upon this future with motorized vehicles, bridges.'
Yoni's comment above, stemming from his work with photographer Hal Cooks, (Cooks Photography) beautifully sets the stage. Yoni perfectly sums up what I love so much, not just this set of of images from Hal, but the unique qualities Yoni brings to all of his work. The phrase 'Modern Classic' may seem a bit contradictory, but in many ways, most images of the naked human form are a nod to the past, a nod manifested so powerfully within Yoni's look and poses.
Art doesn't necessarily earn the 'classic' label, simply because it's old. It must have an artistic quality that expresses both a beauty, and a truth about the time it created. A classic isn't just a glimpse of the past, it stands the test of time, representing the period, the artist, and most of all, the qualities of man and life of the time.
The first time I featured Yoni imagery, in his work with YogaBear Studio, I was struck at the beautify of Yoni's sculpted physique and the classic bodyscapes he created. It was almost as if a Greek Statue was jettisoned far into the future, pulling visual pieces of the past into the present with him. Yoni has always had a focus on pose, and even put together a artistic anatomy pose book, Heracles which I featured on FH last summer. (Sculpted)
I especially love the contrast Hall captured between Yoni's powerful classic poses, with the vibrancy and color of the graffiti surrounding him. Graffiti, or at least a form of it, has been around for thousands of years, from early cave drawings to Ancient Romans and Greeks who wrote their names or a poem on public buildings, usually as a form of protest. Graffiti as we know it today however, is said to have originated in the early 1960's, with the art form really taking off in the 70's. Yoni's strong but still and deliberate poses not only contrast, but in some ways are a visual variance to the more frenetic and spontaneous lines designs around him.
'The shot was a very unique experience. Its quite a thing to shoot on location like that. It was private until the lone hiker came upon us and made a quick u turn ! I think the odd thing is being organic and having to pose with something so man made and structural like concrete . It was difficult to relate to the substance, and really couldn't read any of the graffiti. I personal favorite of mine :) was great working with Hal on these, creative and personal.'
Cooks Photography on
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