Few photographers have a true understanding of the male physic and psyche; Robert Siegelman is one of them.
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He understands light and shadow. He understands angles and poses. He understands the very essence of masculinity, all of which are dramatically present in his work.
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Never mind those monotonous and endless displays of perfectly sculpted men. Siegelman’s models are more like the rest of us, yet magnificent in form and representative of the word beauty.
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Siegelman shrinks from nothing, unaffected by religious dogma and society’s nonsensical mores, allowing the magic and mystery of the male body in glorious detail to take form on his canvas. Every shadow and crease is fair game. Every nuance is sought by his lens. The poses he inspires and directs are nothing less than emotional outlets for the mind.
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He captures what we see in dreams and what we fantasize about. He tells us it’s okay to admire your own kind. He tells us to be unashamed of our bodies and our sexuality. He frees us from the bondage imposed by superficial autocrats.
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As you scroll through these amazing images, let your mind catch the breeze of Siegelman’s artistic inspiration. Go where he goes when he’s behind the lens. Let your eyes capture the compelling details of the male form as you imagine the textures and fragrances and damp warmth of a man’s body.
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From Fort Point Artist Community, Inc., of which Siegelman is a member:
Robert Siegelman works in printmaking, photography, installation, and artists books. He teaches at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and at the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain. He also teaches workshops regularly throughout New England. He is the Co-Director of Art In Amsterdam, a studio program for artists held each summer in the Netherlands.
”The work and imagery that I pursue in photography uses sexuality as a metaphor. I am making photographs that are autobiographical, yet which many viewers find meaningful. I am seeking to express the need gay men often feel to create a sense of identity, within one’s self and culture. Many find their lives reflected in this work in ways that are generally not shown in artwork or the media.”
More of Robert’s work and more about him at his website
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Robert produces such elegant images, full of beauty and sensuality – I had the honor of working with him last summer.
“Capturing the Breeze”
Dear Martin, Thank you so much for presenting Robert Siegelman’s work here. Wonderful…!
After delighting in each image, accompanied by your writing, with such clarity on your audience’s motivations (me for one) and sensitivity of thought (lovely to see it acknowledged on Rob’s blog) I took a tour of the blog via the link you included.
His work – Simply stunning. It really is everything you describe and more.
With incredible sensitivity he takes you into the lives and feelings of countless men, and with so many of these images, one feels he is talking directly to you.
Validated in some way and connected to so many others, a community that leaps across cultures, borders and narrow perceptions, to bring a fuller and more complete view on what being a sexually alive and feeling male is.
Through….photography, us(ing) sexuality as a metaphor… so making photographs that are autobiographical, brings for this visitor at least, the feeling with each image that he is peering back through the lens at you. so it also becomes by default ones own ‘autobiography.’
In so doing he challenges you to drill down to the core wishes and desires that pervade ones own psyche, to ones own identity. What are you seeking, what is it that turns you on, what do you stand for (this is of course is my take, no presumption of what others might see)?
His observation of the need of gay (and bi-sexual) men to be able to feel a sense of identity, within one’s self and culture, seems so close to the mark.
For me the writing and use of photography surrounding these expressive topics is an important expressionism and a healthy exhibitionism. It is part of ones internal culture that evolves as you go deeper into the truth of ones own sexual makeup and base identity. That can of course be scary, and not for the faint of heart, but hang on tight and take the ride on its full journey, for no doubt you will find the absolute you at the other end.
As you so eloquently describe it Martin, ”He captures what we see in dreams and what we fantasize about.” it is so true, those fantasies so vivid and full.
“He tells us it’s okay to admire your own kind. He tells us to be unashamed of our bodies and our sexuality. He frees us from the bondage imposed by superficial autocrats” …and a world that cannot bear to look honestly within itself to see that we are all from the same canvas, that we are not so very different, but nor are we special, rather we are though most emphatically unique.
It is true that we can find our lives reflected, and acknowledged here, “in this work in ways that are generally not shown in artwork or the media.”
The poses he inspires (and the detail that he zeros us in on) and directs are nothing less than emotional outlets for the heart and mind.
It is as if he has read your deepest thoughts and without words puts down visually what is going in ones own life moments.
That delight you feel which is drawn from the well-spring of male-male sexuality, and the accompanying and encompassing understanding of each others needs and desires.
This is the nature of ones sexuality when other men are ones natural companion. It seems to me that the feminine qualities are somehow brought simultaneously into play in a dance with masculine, the need for male-female is removed, and when fully engaged in the male-male becomes complete.
These images bring forward for me this incredible unspoken connection to other men, an appreciation of what we so strikingly have in common, and when allowed joyfully
J xo
It is very enjoyable to come here and to write openly and honestly, sharing ones inner feelings, all the time sensing that those reading relate to and find value in what is written. What a wonderful blog this is..! J x
THANKS so much for what you have written and articulated.
Your keen words and insights are so much appreciated.
I hope that you will stay in touch. I up date my blog, flickr acouunt and Facebook albums regularly.
Thanks again for your interest in my work and your support.
Robert Siegelman
Hi Robert,
Lovely to read your words of reply, and yes I shall keep in touch.
I’m often here (and will likewise keep abreast of your work) at this wonderful blog created by Martin with such thought and understanding.
The chance to share personal thoughts and feelings here is always an enjoyment, with the wish and hope my words and observations will be of some benefit to others.
Well done on all you do. Kind wishes. Julian xo