AJ Nadel statement:
The current body of work focuses on personae and relationships. Even
within the
studio environment, a model is not solely an object. With or without
coaxing,
direction, or provocation a model can project various moods and
feelings by
expressions, gestures, and postures. These convey a unique personality
and,
sometimes, facets of character hidden during more usual social
discourse. In the
studio, a model's identity may be "truer."
When the artist includes himself/herself within the work, the
atmosphere becomes
more dense. Who is creating? Is it the artist, the model (muse), or a
third
party? Is the work an expression of a partnership or of a
relationship? And
where does the viewer (voyeur) fit in? These issues have been
addressed
throughout the history of image making but have been discussed more
openly in
recent decades particularly in connection with feminist concerns as
well as with
the greater willingness of artists to include themselves in their
imagery.
After all, the creative endeavor encompasses issues related to age,
sex, gender,
power, and self-esteem. And what happens inside the studio happens
outside it.
