Photographed on a rooftop in New York City‘s midtown. Visible are three buildings on East 54th Street, East 55th Street, and Third Ave. The high-rise theme has been a favorite of collectors who buy nude art photography. The massive buildings play several roles. They are iconic of the city they inhabit but they also create strong vertical lines and rectangular patterns.
The warm and earthy colors of the buildings stand out against the cerulean blue sky. Intentional color shifts bring out the rust-red horizontal lines in the building at the right. White clouds accent the sky and interrupt the expanse of solid blue. The figure stands between two buildings. Along with the buildings, she is the most prominent of four vertical elements.
The elements are crowded into the frame, intersecting with the edges of the image. All of this emphasizes the sense of being surrounded by the city. Hundreds of windows look down upon this nude figure. People who buy nude art photography may recall similar themes by Helmut Newton in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles.
Her turned body balances a degree of modesty with the pinup quality of the piece. Her shifted hips, curved body, and tilted head add to the provocativeness. Her long hair, captured by the breeze, add to the sensuality.
New York is known around the world and many people have a personal connection to the metropolis. Whenever I visit Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, I am inspired by the art I see and the culture of the city. Although I have visited a dozen times before this image is from my first ever photo project in New York.
The combination of a nude with a city skyline is inspired, in part, by the work of Helmut Newton. Art collectors who buy nude art photography may recall Newton’s overtly sexual stances with an overlook of Paris or high-rises of New York. But they also recall the many other artists who have captured NYC’s buildings. This image celebrates the sexual side of life with a sense of humor blended with the aesthetic.
