The Shadow Knows...

Photographer Alex Waterhouse-Hayward discusses the history of shadows in photography -- but don't worry, it's a quick and easy read. And a great one. I highly recommend it, not only for the brief history of art & photography, but because he makes a valid point about style.

After reading his post I began to think about those shadows, or rather the lack of them: Is that the "what's missing" which makes modern pornography and art nudes less arousing, interesting to me?

I used to think it was that I preferred black & white photos (which still may be the case), or that older color film was somehow superior, or that it's aging pulled at a sense of nostalgia that I somehow shared with those far older than myself. Or maybe, I thought, it was all the damn close-ups which fragmented & dissected (especially since those were points of view I wouldn't naturally have) -- but older erotic photographs are not without its close-ups or intimate and unusual angles.

Reading Alex's piece, the time lines match-up. He notes the 60's as a pivotal point, and that's the ending point for my preference in smut too.

Alex notes:

"The overall result is that faces lose that idea of three dimensionality that the shadow adds by hinting at curvature. Faces look flat."

Substitute 'face' with any other part of the body, and the same result ensues. Erotica without curves, well, it just falls flat for me.

(Alex's blog found via Tad Too Tan For Taupe.)