Close-up: Display vs Naturalism

Compare these two images:

1. Gene Meyer with a shield by Kovert

2. Shep Messing (see June 13 post on Windows - Back).

Or these two:

3. Unknown model

4. Don Dunne by Kris Studios.

What do you notice?

The first thing that jumps out at me is that some of these photographs feel more posed than others. Part of that is the setting. A studio backdrop naturally feels different than a backyard, a bathroom, or a room with a view. But I think there's something else happening too.

One of my personal interests is Performance Studies, which is probably why I keep coming back to ideas like fantasy, liminality, and the blurry line between art and erotica. I think these photographs reveal two different traditions in physique photography: Display and Naturalism. Display is the bodybuilder flexing, the sailor posing, the Greek god holding a shield. The performance is obvious and that's part of the fun. Naturalism works differently. The model is looking out a window, leaning against a wall, stepping through a doorway, or lathering up in the shower. The goal is no longer to show us a pose. The goal is to make us believe we're witnessing a moment.

I call this the Theatre of Naturalism. In film, some actors seem to be acting while others seem to be living. The same thing happens in photography. Looking at Shep Messing standing by the terrace doors (#2 above), I might imagine I've just woken up and found him watching the city come to life. Looking at Don Dunne in the shower (#4 above), I might imagine he's getting ready for a night out—or cleaning up after one. Of course none of that is real. The model knows it, the photographer knows it, and we know it too. But for a few seconds we willingly play along. That's the magic. These photographs don't just show us a fantasy—they invite us to step inside it, just like a good novel, movie, or play.

As you look through these images, notice whether they stay in front of you as something to admire or whether they pull you into a story. For me, the latter is much harder to achieve and therefore the greater artistic accomplishment. The best artists don't simply capture our attention. They suspend our disbelief.

Please share any thoughts you may have in the comments.