Alchemy: the magical process of transmuting a common
substance into a substance of great value.
In Michel Leroy’s new series Alchemy, dark shimmering forms dance throughout each frame, every
photo more graceful and enticing than the next.
The nude figures in the photographs look sculptural, carved out of dark
stone like the art of the Ancient Greeks.
The skin shimmers and the body twists into forms that are almost
abstract in nature. This series is truly
unique and different from the clean, white studio shots Leroy is known
for.
To create the shimmering, uniform texture of the skin in the
Alchemy series, Michel Leroy does it all in-camera that he has developed over
years of experimentation, without the use of oils, makeup, or any unusual
lighting. In his artist statement, he
refers to this method as “reminiscent of a Daguerreotype in the pixel age”.
Michel Leroy’s photographic endeavors usually include taking
pictures of athletes and musicians. He
has a unique talent for capturing the personality of his subject within the intricacies
of their expression, form, and pose.
Some of his clients include The Food Network, Adidas, Nike, Intel, and L’Oreal. He has appeared in publications such as The
Huffington Post, The New York Times, and People Magazine, to name a few. Regardless of his impressive CV, the
photographer wanted to challenge himself to create something that he’s never
done before and break out of his comfort zone.
His idea behind these images was to “create body-postive
images that are exaggerated and explicit without sexual objectification. The images are a celebration of athletic
confidence and vitality at its most pure” (Quote from Leroy’s artist statement). Every body photographed in this series is
vastly different, but through the unique method of photographing them, they are
visually united. Though his models were
various, Leroy’s images remind us that every human being is beautiful in their
own way, regardless of superficial outward appearance and perception.
When I spoke to Leroy, he informed me that he had been
keeping this project a secret for a few years, preferring to take his time
perfecting his method before showing the work.
Now that the project is completed, he’ll be exhibiting the work from
January 25th – April 25th 2018 at The Wall at Body and
Pole.
More info on the exhibition can be found here.
The opening reception is on Thursday, January 25th,
from 8-10 pm at The Wall at Body and Pole, which is located at 115 West 27th
Street, New York, NY. Check out more of Michel Leroy’s work here.
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