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.

Barrels & Kegs

Barrels and kegs belong to a long list of everyday objects that found their way into the physique studio. Like stumps, they function as platforms, but they also arrive carrying their own baggage: breweries, pubs, ships, docks, wineries, and manual labor.

1. Joe Cataldi (see Sky May 8, and Walls - Exterior June 15) seated on a keg facing away with knees wide apart by Bob Mizer.

2. Gary Conway aka Gary Carmody seated on a metal barrel in a black posing strap on some sort of a set.

3. David O'Boyle seated on a wooden barrel holding a beer bottle for a bar scene still shot in Physique Pictorial.

4. Unknown model posing inside a barrel a 19th and 20th century joke about being unlucky with money.

The associations are sometimes practical, sometimes humorous. There's the old cartoon image of a bankrupt man wearing nothing but a barrel. Then there's Bob Mizer happily draping a model over one, letting anatomy spill over the edge with a wink that feels perfectly in keeping with his playful sense of innocence.

5. Another unknown model inside a barrel. (not sure what the watermark is as the bottom). Personal anecdote, in Minneapolis Pride there is always a group of men wearing only wooden barrels...literally...always a crowd pleaser as folks gather 'round for photo ops and a peak inside.

6. A third unknown model in a barrel. Poor guy;) He looks so sad.

7. Chuck Steury seated on a barrel. This shot appears to be taken outdoors.

Whether wooden or metal, barrels introduce a touch of working-class Americana into an otherwise controlled studio. They aren't neutral props. They invite stories, even if the photographs never fully commit to one. 

8. Chuck Moore straddling a steel barrel wearing only a red hard hat and black boots with a sledge hammer next to him and "Road Construction Ahead" sign in the background...clearly an AMG shot.

9. Chuck Weltch (maybe this model should switch last names with #8 above??) hanging himself over the edge of a keg with legs spread wide and arms folded on some sort of ship set by AMG...naturally.

10. Another photo of Chuck Weltch (and his luggage) straddling a keg on a ship, this time with his arms resting on his legs.  One of these images is flipped left-to-right, but I am not sure which is the original facing.

Please leave thoughts, questions, additions or corrections in the comments. Thank you, bns

Stumps

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Curved Platforms

Curved platforms continue that tradition but soften the geometry. This set includes circular discs, cylinders, half-round forms, and other rounded supports that contrast—or sometimes echo—the contours of the body.

1. Paul Strand by Bruce of LA seated angled away from the camera on a curved red box with a red background. Notice the combination of curved shapes in the lower right. (*VintageMuscleMan shared that the tuffet he is sitting on sold at a memorabilia auction for a hefty price--thanks Jerry!)

2. George Rugg in profile arms support with one knee up on curved box.

3. David Selhime reclining on a cylinder with arms supporting from behind and knees apart.

Where square platforms emphasize angles, curved forms tend to complement them. Light moves differently across their smooth surfaces than it does across skin, muscles, and body hair, creating a quiet dialogue between simple geometry and the complexity of the human figure.

4. Jimmy Lewis lying on his side with elbow support in a posing strap on a draped round platform.

5. Peter George in a curved standing profile pose on a small disc with hands folded tightly together.

6. Mike Riley in a similar pose to Peter George's above--only kneeling instead of standing.

I'll admit these props don't always work for me. Sometimes the platforms disappear into the composition. Other times they pull my attention away from the model altogether. A round platform can make a figure resemble a wedding cake topper, while a square one can feel like a stage waiting for a speech or a song.

7. Wallace Howard seated on a small round platform.

8. Fred Massaro seated on a round draped platform with legs bent at profile and upper body twisted toward the camera.

Still, their widespread use says something about the priorities of the studio. These photographs value control—of light, composition, posture, and presentation. The platforms become part of that discipline, elevating the model while quietly reminding us that every studio photograph is, in some sense, a performance.

9. Forrester Millard seated on a large round platform with cropped to place floor and platform at an angle with strong shadow in the background.

10. Joe Marcy seating against a round draped stand with upper body twisted to show his back.

Please leave thoughts, questions or corrections in the comments. Thank you, bns

Platforms & Plinths

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Rectangular Boxes - Draped

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