Floor, by Do Hu Suh

Floor, by Do Hu Suh, is one of my favorite installations in the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

From the IMA’s website:

Floor is a sculptural installation commissioned for the IMA contemporary collection. The piece is scaled to fit in this gallery in a grid of 32 individual squares. Upon entering the gallery, viewers are invited to step up onto an expansive platform covered with thick glass plates.

Beneath the glass platform, small specks of color are visible. On closer examination, these are revealed to be the small palms of figures assembled below the floor. Hundreds of multicolored men and women crowd together with heads upturned and arms aloft. The collective strength of this Lilliputian group supports the weight of individual visitors who step up onto the floor grid.

Floor demonstrates many characteristic elements of Do-Ho Suh’s broader body of work. The artist uses installations to integrate his artwork with the architecture of a gallery or public space. He has engaged the tensions between collective action and individual identity in other pieces, using his miniature figures to support a heavy stone pedestal or to form a tremendous screen with their interlocking bodies. With residences in Seoul, Korea and New York City, the artist also has considered ideas of “home” or displacement in his works, including reconstructing 1:1 scale models of his apartment out of nylon in gallery spaces. Do-Ho Suh uses Floor’s subtle occupation of this gallery, and scale displacement, to present a cross-cultural exploration of personal and communal space.

Do Hu Suh created Floor between 1997 and 2000 for the IMA. He divides his time between South Korea and New York City.

Calvin, in Hoosier Boys

This is Calvin, posing for my Hoosier Boys series. You can see the whole series on my website, Scott Barnes Photography.

Other Photographers: Joel Meacock by Marcelo Krasilcic

Photographer Marcelo Krasilcic shot model Joel Meacock for an editorial series called A Beauty Study, for Visual Tales magazine. The series is reminiscent of the work of the great photographer, Duane Michals.

All photos in this post by Marcelo Krasilcic.

David

Here are four photos from my newly posted series of David, called, The Trainer Cleans Up.

You can see the whole series (ten photos in all) on either one of my websites, sbarnesphotography.com or virimpudicus.com.

Piersten Leirom by Damien Blottière

Here is a piece featuring model Piersten Leirom by Damien Blottière (the image is not safe for work, if you scroll down). I’m not quite sure if this is an editorial photograph or a work of art, I can see it as both. It’s stunning though, collage work has to be done really well before I like it, and I love this. [Click to enlage.]

Photo in this post by Damien Blottière

“the event of a thread” by Ann Hamilton

This installation, open until January 6th at the Park Avenue Armory in New York, features two fields of suspended swings separated by a massive white curtain. Each swing is connected via ropes and pulleys to a counterpart on the other side of the curtain. Visitors can sit and swing, and their momentum causes the curtain to roll. The movement of the curtain alone is said to be mesmerizing.

Here’s a video.

Find more information about this installation on the Armory’s website.

Christmas Wish

Thank you to all the fans, followers, models, clients, photographers, publishers, galleries, friends, supporters, advisers, and everyone else that I have been involved with this past year. You fuel my desire to keep going, and I wish you the warmest holiday season. Let’s raise a glass to many great things to come in 2013!

Christmas Spells

I’m a huge fan of Justin Vivian Bond. Merry Christmas/Happy holidays!

Other Photographers: Sean O’Pry for Lucky Brand

Here’s current “it” model Sean O’Pry looking very cute in the Lucky Brand Holiday campaign. [Click any photo to enlarge.]

Photo credit for this post, unknown.

The Top Ten Men that I’d Like to Pose Nude for Me

A few weeks ago, someone on Tumblr asked me the following question: If you could get any men to pose nude for you, who would your top ten picks be and why?

I thought I’d share my list on here, as well. [Click any photo to enlarge.]

10. Josey Greenwell

My friend Toby from Nashville first showed me this guy, back when Josey also lived in Nashville. (Toby’s exact words were, “You should come to Nashville and shoot this guy.”) Sadly, Josey moved to Miami before I could make that happen.

Josey is cute in an all-American way. And he seems pretty laid back and uninhibited. He has a great body and an awesome Kentucky accent. And he could sing to me during the shoot. That would be nice.

9. William Levy

I’d photograph him because he’s beautiful. And his voice… the Cuban accent… he might be the only guy I’ve ever seen who could probably turn me on just by talking to me. And then, well, look at him! He’s just so sexy; the perfect cross between exotic and wholesome.

8. Tim Tebow

I have to be honest — this guy does nothing for me. But it would be a huge coup to get him to pose nude, I’d make a fortune!

7. Adam Levine

I love Adam’s tattoos. They’re artful and they add to his natural beauty. And I think he would be fun to photograph because he’s full of creative energy; I think he would bring a lot to a photo shoot.

6. Will Grant

Will Grant is a professional BMX rider turned fitness model and personal trainer. Honestly, I think he might be one of the best looking male models working right now. He’s so All-American and square-jawed, I love it! I also think he just landed a DNA cover.

5. Benjamin Godfre

Ben is everywhere right now. He’s got his own website, all the great photographers are working with him, he’s been directing a little bit of porn for Falcon, and he participates in some amazing photo shoots. Ben’s personality shines through in everything he does. And he’s a genuinely nice guy (I’ve talked to him). We were trying to put together a photo shoot the last time I was in LA, but it just didn’t happen, so I kind of feel like this is the one that got away. Oh, it helps that he’s super hot and very laid back, and he will run with just about any idea, it seems.

4. Adam Von Rothfelder

I have a thing for MMA fighters, so of course Adam appeals to me. And he’s done some interesting modeling in the past. His tattoos are hot (more than hot, they are beautiful and edgy). Adam is also from Milwaukee (I think he currently owns a gym there), which is not so far away from here. I’d love to find a way to get him to my studio.

3. Nick Youngquest

This Australian rugby league footballer is not shy about taking his clothes off; he posed in the 2007-08 Naked Rugby League calendar benefiting breast cancer and he got naked again for a testicular cancer awareness campaign. Since then he’s been naked (or nearly so) for a whole lot of photographers, so I’d love to get him naked for me! He’s another beautiful man; it seems that he doesn’t take a bad photo. I’d love to work with him.

2. Aaron O’Connell

Aaron is my personal favorite model of the moment. I’ve been infatuated with him since I first saw him in the Liquid Plumber commercial. And then I found out about his Indiana connection (he grew up in the north suburbs of Indy and went to Purdue). And then I found out that he’s posed for Bruce Weber. The more I see, the more I am kicking myself for not finding him when he lived here. I would love to work with him; he’s just a fantastic model.

1. Channing Tatum

My current dream guy, Channing Tatum is sexy, he’s tough, he’s tender, he’s goofy. Not many guys can pull all of this off. And he seems like a nice guy on top of all of it. He has the kind of body that the Greeks would have used to carve statues, it’s perfect. He might have the best butt I’ve ever seen. It would be amazing to have a photo shoot with Channing.