'It's been a really challenging year....'
Photographer Richard Rothstein speaks for all of us when he speaks of the challenges we all had to confront in 2020. Although we were all faced with challenges and obstacles, artists had a unique set of hurdles they had to maneuver over and around.
The arts have sadly never been considered essential services, and usually the last to get support and funding. This, despite the fact it was the arts, so many of us turned to when the pandemic began. I know my own draw to movies, television shows, photography and art was intensified, especially in the late spring and summer. Escapism was a must, with genuine laughs, vivid colors, erotic energy and passionate drama being more appreciated than ever.
Richard always brings the passion and drama,especially in his work with Sergey. This series of images beautifully illustrates their power, and the skill both model and artist bring to their visuals. From the moment I first saw Richard's work with Sergey back in 2018, I could see and feel Sergey's strength and sexual energy. His moxy (moxie) was there from the start, but it's only grown and become more forceful over their years of collaborating together.
If there was a silver lining to the year's challenges, it was that Richard and Sergey, along with Richard's dog Teddy, got to spend some of their quarantine time together. Living in the same building, with an outside rooftop studio, meant work, to a some extent, was able to continue. Artist and model also made frequent trips to Fire Island. Beyond being a place to safely shoot outside, it was also a bit of a safe haven, and most importantly for Richard, very therapeutic.
Many FH readers may already be aware that over the last year, Sergey has been spending as much time or more, behind the camera, than he has in front of it. Although I featured Sergey in A Baker's Dozen post early in September, I haven't featured new images of the New York based model since the Spring. It's a more than welcome return!
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