figure study a

I put an advertisement in the NY Press. Many actors sent me headshots. One person sent me a black and white snap shot of a naked old man; on the back of the photo, in black magic-marker was the word "Pat" and a phone number.

Pat came to my apartment on a sunny afternoon in March 2002. After a couple minutes' conversation, he went to the bathroom where he took off all his clothes except his underwear and socks. Our interactions were formal: he was concerned with the arrangement of his body-parts while I focused on the light and the composition. In my first year of art school, we studied nude models. Quietly, we outlined their bodies in charcoal on newsprint paper, and when we were finished they left us behind.

The second time I photographed Pat, I was surprised to see him fully clothed. At some point he mentioned that he was an "exhibitionist," not a nudist. The room was still, the light gentle. We remained rather quiet.