Blog #167  7/21/16

Among my favorite assignments are the ones where the direction from an editor is nothing more than one or two words. With that word or phrase in mind, I can let my imagination roam in any direction my curiosity and sense of visual adventure takes me.

I was asked by Antonella Grua, the editor of Numero Beauté, an Italian fashion/beauty magazine,  to make editorial photographs with the word “Sacred” to be utilized as its theme.

I was offered to interpret that alluringly vague idea any way I wanted. Since one of my career-long pleasures has been to photograph bodies, (see “NudeBodyNude”   http://howardschatz.com/books.php?galleryID=38),  this assignment was a natural as I went right for “Sacred Body.”

Because “sacred” is a provocative word, not easy to make visual without including clichés, I decided to evoke a feeling of wonder and mystery.  I thus visited another favorite subject of mine, “material.” In my work I have always loved fashion, and just as much the materials fashion is made of – the lightness or weight, the tactile feeling and texture. In order to suggest mystery, I decided to used materials that were translucent, producing a
dream-like aura.

The possibilities were endless, challenging and ultimately alluring. Having considered many possibilities I decided on exploring how material can enhance sensuality and sacredness, how it is felt and perceived and then interpreted on a body – or in some intriguing cases, two bodies.

A few other images I made for the magazine.

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Glitterati Incoprorated, the publisher of the Retrospective, Schatz Images: 25 Years is now offering the two- book boxed set at a discount from the original price. The set comes with an 11″x14″ print of the buyer’s choice.
http://schatzimages25years-glitterati.com