They say that writers often write what they know. I don't think the same can necessarily be said for photographers and artists. Visual artists don't always capture just what they see, often, they chronicle how they want it to be seen. This is especially true for many of the photographers whose work I spotlight. Some of my favorite images, and some of my favorite artists, capture so much more than what's physically in front of them.
There are many photographers shooting perfect bodies and perfect faces on sunlit Florida beaches and in well equipped studios in Los Angeles and New York. Don't get me wrong, I love many of the images they create.. Sometimes however, these images don't have the same quantity of layers and depth of story a more personal connection can generate and create..
The images created by Rob Colgan are always visually layered. Although his models are the focus, part of their assignment, is to blend themselves into their environment, and use their faces and bodies to resurrect and reenergize abandoned locations, most, long forgotten by those around them. Over the years, I've been fortunate to feature many of Rob's shoots (HERE:) in a multitude of spaces that many who once inhabited them, have buried their beauty in rarely accessed old memories.
Although he now lives in Columbus, over the past two years Rob has been exploring his native city of Cleveland as a source for for figurative work. Rob shares that it's odd that he's avoided Cleveland for so long as now with every investigation, he finds more locations that stimulate fresh ideas and stirs more themes of social reflection. Anyone who follow's Rob's work knows that he's fascinated by the exploration of old buildings.
'The history and loneliness of these sites that used to bustle with life seem to emphasize the disposable nature of our society. Cleveland and all of her Rust Belt relatives continue to offer amazing opportunities. They also tug empathetically at my memories – the history of this part of the country that helped build the remainder of our land.'
Rob shot two models last year in Cleveland, Devin, the model featured in this piece, Rob first connected with on Model Mayhem. Rob had already photographed two other models in Buffalo's amazing abandonments but was searching for one more...
'Devin was about the only one who wasn't turned off by my weird location suggestions. I ended up photographing him in an old factory and was so pleased with the results that I asked if we could do one more shoot the following day in Buffalo's premier cemetery. The images were fantastic! He was such a nice guy. There was no hesitation when I suggested nudity. I think he actually did his homework and checked out my work online, so he knew my thematic needs.'
'Fortunately, we had a beautifully warm fall day and we were able to capture more shots. I always worry that demolition is not far behind my discovery of these places, so I was very happy to have had a wonderful model to accentuate them. In hindsight, I'm pleased with the quantity of great work we created from such a quickly planned session. And, once again, Devin has added his beautiful form to my projects.'
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