Room Description
The EQUAL NUDE NOIR exhibition is located in a bright, rectangular studio space. The photographs are displayed across several walls and each work is marked with a small number. These numbers correspond to the numbered image descriptions below.
The exhibited works vary in size and are displayed in both portrait and landscape orientation. Some of the photographs are presented in black frames, while the smaller works are predominantly displayed in white frames with white mounts. Most of the photographs are black and white; one of the exhibited works is in colour.
The room continues to function as a photography studio. Rolls of photographic backdrop paper are suspended along one wall. Other areas have white or light-coloured walls, with sections of exposed masonry. There are also windows and curtains in the room. Furniture and individual pieces of studio equipment remain part of the space, so the exhibition is not arranged like a conventional white-cube gallery.
In addition to the framed photographs, there is a projection showing further works from EQUAL NUDE NOIR. The projected images change automatically and repeat in a continuous loop.
The descriptions of the exhibited photographs follow in numerical order from 01 to 17.
Image Descriptions
01
Black-and-white photograph, portrait orientation, 50 × 70 cm.
The image shows the head, neck, and part of the unclothed upper body of a person against an almost completely black background. The person is photographed from the side and fills a large part of the image.
The head is tilted far back and to one side. The face appears in profile or three-quarter profile. The eyes are open and the gaze is directed upward. Short dark hair falls partly across the forehead. Several pieces of jewellery or piercings are visible on the nose and ear.
The light falls primarily on the face, neck, and left shoulder. The forehead, cheek, nose, and neck stand out brightly against the dark background, while the right side of the body gradually disappears into black. The lower right area of the image is almost completely dark.
The composition is defined by the upward line formed by the shoulder, neck, face, and gaze. The strong contrast between light and dark directs attention towards the face.
02
Black-and-white photograph, portrait orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows a very tightly cropped section of an unclothed body. The head, face, and limbs are not visible.
The body forms are concentrated mainly in the right half of the image. Several soft, rounded areas of skin lie closely together, creating folds and indentations. Because of the extremely tight crop, it is not immediately clear which individual parts of the body are being shown.
The left half of the image consists almost entirely of an even, light-grey area. The body itself is also rendered softly, with only slight differences in brightness. Only the indentations between the body forms create darker lines and shadows.
Overall, the image is very bright and low in contrast. The extreme close-up makes the forms of the body appear almost abstract.
03
Black-and-white photograph, portrait orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows an unclothed person in mid-jump. The body is extended, with both arms reaching upward and continuing beyond the upper edge of the image. The head is also outside the frame.
The unclothed body is covered by several long lengths of light, transparent tulle. The fabric falls from above across the upper body and continues downward in long, partly curved lengths in front of the body. Parts of the chest, abdomen, pelvis, and legs remain visible between the layers of fabric.
The legs are also captured in the movement of the jump and are slightly offset from one another. The extended posture and the long, moving lengths of fabric create predominantly vertical lines.
The image consists mainly of light shades of grey and white. In places, the body appears darker against the bright background and transparent tulle. The upward movement of the jump and the movement of the fabric define the composition.
04
Black-and-white photograph, landscape orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows two unclothed people in a tightly cropped composition behind or between several lengths of transparent fabric.
On the left, part of one body is visible, with a larger tattoo on the skin. On the right is the upper body of a second person; parts of the chest, abdomen, and a bent arm can be seen. The heads and faces are either outside the frame or not recognisable.
Several broad lengths of transparent tulle run diagonally from the lower left towards the upper right. Additional layers of fabric run vertically and overlap the bodies. As a result, individual parts of the bodies alternately become visible and disappear behind the material.
The image is predominantly dark grey and low in contrast. Fabric and bodies overlap in several semi-transparent layers. The diagonal lines of the tulle define a large part of the composition.
05
Black-and-white photograph, portrait orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows an unclothed person sitting on the floor. Almost the entire body is visible and is turned slightly to the side in relation to the camera. The legs are bent and rest to one side on the floor.
One arm supports the body with the hand placed on the floor. The other arm is bent and raised. The hand is positioned in front of the face and obscures a large part of it. Short dark hair and tattoos on the arm and body are visible.
Between the camera and the person are several lengths of light, transparent fabric. Some run vertically and others diagonally across the image. Several are far outside the plane of focus and therefore appear as broad, soft white areas.
The person is comparatively sharply defined, while the out-of-focus fabric partially overlaps the face, upper body, and legs. The background and floor are light grey and almost entirely without visible structure.
06
Black-and-white photograph, portrait orientation, 50 × 70 cm.
The image shows an unclothed person kneeling on the floor. Almost the entire body is visible and is positioned frontally or slightly at an angle to the camera.
The lower legs extend backwards along the floor and the thighs are bent. The upper body is upright. Both arms are opened widely outwards and upwards. The head is tilted back and the gaze is directed upward, beyond the frame. The person has short dark hair and wears jewellery on the ear. A small tattoo is visible on the upper body.
A long length of light, transparent fabric runs horizontally in front of and behind the upper body. It extends from the left side of the image across the chest and arms towards the right, forming a sweeping curved line.
The background is very bright and even. The body and fabric are also rendered in light shades of grey. This gives the image an overall soft, low-contrast appearance; darker accents are created mainly by the hair, facial features, and individual contours.
07
Black-and-white photograph, landscape orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows an unclothed person in a strongly forward-bent position on a light surface. The body occupies a large part of the image and is bent and twisted at several points.
The head rests sideways on the light surface. The eyes are closed and the mouth is slightly open. One arm is extended in front of the body and also rests on the surface. The upper body is twisted. One bent leg rises upwards and occupies a large part of the upper right area of the image. Tattoos are visible on the extended arm and upper body.
The unusual body position creates several diagonal lines. The head, arm, upper body, and bent leg occupy different planes and partially overlap one another.
The background and the surface beneath the person are light and visually restrained. This makes the contours of the body and the darker tattoos stand out clearly from their surroundings.
08
Black-and-white photograph, landscape orientation, 30 × 40 cm.
The image shows an unclothed person lying sideways behind or between several very bright, out-of-focus areas. Only individual parts of the body are clearly recognisable.
The face is located in the left half of the image and is partially obscured. Other parts of the body appear between the bright areas but, because of the shallow focus and extensive overlapping, can only partly be distinguished from one another.
Large areas of the photograph consist of almost white and very light-grey surfaces. The contours of the person become more distinct only in a few places. Clear boundaries between body, fabric, and background are largely absent.
Overall, the photograph is very bright and low in contrast. The soft transitions and strong overexposure cause the body, fabric, and background to merge almost completely in places.
09
Black-and-white photograph of two unclothed people against a black background.
The image shows two people standing closely beside one another. Their heads, shoulders, and parts of their upper bodies are primarily visible. Their heads are inclined towards each other and almost touch.
A thin thread runs repeatedly across both faces. It crosses different areas of the forehead, cheeks, nose, and mouth and also spans the space between the two people. In this way, it creates a visible connection between their faces. Both people wear piercings.
Directional light falls mainly on the faces, shoulders, and parts of the upper bodies. Other areas gradually disappear into the black background. In places, the thread stands out as a fine, light line against the skin and darkness.
The strong contrast between light and dark concentrates the composition on the two closely positioned faces and on the lines of thread continuing across both people.
10
Black-and-white photograph of an unclothed person in a deeply forward-bent position.
The person is positioned mainly in the right half of the image. The upper body is bent far forward. The head rests sideways on a light surface, the eyes are closed, and the mouth is slightly open.
One arm extends downward and supports the body against the surface. Because of the strongly bent posture, the back and legs form a sequence of lines and curves. Light, transparent fabric is visible behind the body, extending partly along the back and legs.
Most of the left half of the photograph remains empty and consists of a largely uniform light-grey area. As a result, the person is positioned distinctly away from the centre and towards the right side of the image.
The composition is defined by the contrast between the compact, strongly bent form of the body on one side and the large area of empty space on the other.
11
Very bright black-and-white photograph of a reclining unclothed person.
The person is visible only in fragments. Large parts of the image are overlaid by transparent fabric and very bright, out-of-focus areas. Individual sections of the body appear between these layers.
An arm or hand is visible on the right side of the image. Jewellery can be seen on the hand or arm. Other parts of the body lie behind the transparent and blurred layers and can only partly be distinguished from one another.
The photograph has very little contrast. White, light grey, and the light tones of the skin are very close in value. A few slightly darker body contours provide orientation within the predominantly bright image.
Because of the shallow focus and the overlapping bright layers, the person, transparent fabric, foreground, and background merge into one another in places. Only individual details of the body emerge more clearly from the light surroundings.
12
High-contrast black-and-white portrait of an unclothed person against a black background.
The head, neck, and shoulders of the person are visible. The face occupies the central area of the photograph and is crossed repeatedly by a thin thread.
The thread runs in different directions across the forehead, nose, cheeks, and mouth. At several points, it lies directly against the skin, creating fine lines across the face. The person's eyes are closed. The mouth is open and the teeth are visible.
The light illuminates only certain areas of the face and shoulders. Other parts remain in deep shadow and partly disappear into the black background. Clearly visible areas of the face therefore alternate with almost completely dark sections.
The strong contrast between illuminated skin, the black background, and the fine lines of thread defines the image and concentrates attention on the face.
13
Black-and-white photograph of an unclothed person in motion against a light-grey background.
The body is positioned mainly behind several long lengths of light, transparent fabric. The person is visible only in sections because the fabric overlaps large parts of the body.
One arm is extended far upwards and reaches into the upper part of the image. One leg extends downwards, while the other is bent. The head and large parts of the upper body are obscured by the transparent material.
The lengths of fabric sweep through almost the entire image in long, curved shapes. Some are closer to the camera and appear brighter or less distinct, while others allow the body to remain visible through their transparent surface.
The lines of the body and the movement of the fabric overlap. Against the evenly light-grey background, the sweeping lengths of fabric and the extended limbs form the main structure of the composition.
14
Black-and-white portrait of an unclothed person against a black background.
The head, shoulders, and upper part of the torso are visible. The face is clearly illuminated and stands out strongly against the dark surroundings.
The person's eyes are wide open and the gaze is directed upwards. The tongue is extended. Two small beads bearing the letters “N” and “O” rest on the tongue and together spell the English word “NO.”
Several piercings or pieces of jewellery are visible on the nose and ears. Dark hair falls across the forehead, creating another strong contrast with the brightly illuminated skin.
The background is completely or almost completely black. This concentrates the image on the face, upward gaze, and extended tongue. The two small lettered beads form a particularly distinctive detail within the portrait.
15
Colour photograph of an unclothed person against a black background.
The person is photographed frontally and is visible from the head to approximately the waist. The head is tilted slightly backwards. The upper body and face are softly illuminated and stand out against the dark background.
A blue-turquoise object made of yarn or fibres is positioned over one eye. The material lies over or directly in front of the eye and partially obscures it. A long bundle of bright orange threads hangs vertically from one nostril and extends down to approximately shoulder height.
The intensely coloured materials are the strongest colour accents in the image. The vivid orange and the blue and turquoise tones contrast clearly with the natural skin tones and the almost black background.
The composition focuses on the frontally presented body and, in particular, on the unusual placement of the coloured threads on the face.
16
Very bright black-and-white photograph of a reclining unclothed person.
The person lies sideways on a light surface. The head, shoulder, and one hand are visible between or behind several lengths of light, transparent fabric. Other parts of the body are obscured by the layers of fabric and out-of-focus areas.
The head rests sideways on the surface. The eyes are closed. A hand is visible near the face or upper body. The transparent lengths of fabric pass through different planes of the image and partially obscure individual parts of the body.
Almost the entire lower section of the photograph consists of a large, out-of-focus light-grey area. It occupies a substantial part of the composition and separates the visible parts of the body from the lower edge of the image.
Overall, the photograph is very bright and has little contrast. Skin, fabric, and background are close in tonal value and merge into one another in places.
17
Very dark black-and-white photograph of an unclothed person against a black background.
The person is positioned in the central area of the image but is only faintly visible. The face and large parts of the body remain in shadow and, in places, merge almost completely with the black background.
A long, transparent dark fabric surrounds the body. It falls from the upper part of the image and spreads out towards the sides as it descends. Because of its transparency, individual areas of the person remain faintly visible behind it, while others are completely obscured.
Above the head, or at the upper end of the fabric, is an ornate, crown-like form. Individual lighter details distinguish it from the otherwise very dark surroundings.
Only a few areas of the body, fabric, and ornament are caught by the light. The composition is therefore formed primarily by the faint contours of the person, the fabric extending downwards and outwards, and the crown-like structure in the upper part of the image.