ABOUT: In Greek mythology, Hades is god of the dead, king of the underworld. Here I’ve used the mirror to represent the entrance to that other world. The mask, studded garters and wristbands seemed fitting for this god. Hades is one of my series on Gods, Demons, and Scoundrels focusing predominantly on the Greek gods and goddesses. These characters are so rich and engaging to work on.
ABOUT: Sophia is a professional dancer and we can see this in the way she positions herself. She is very creative in the forms she creates. I like the tension made by the angel pulling . . . what? Is she pulling souls into heaven? What is at the other end of the rope?
ABOUT: In her online job, my model often uses masks to both disguise her identity, create allure, and create a ‘character.’ The rabbit mask is one of her recent additions. It’s sexy, humorous, and a bit menacing. It perfectly compliments the other elements of her ensemble. She says that, for her, the costumes allow her to project into a part of herself that she cannot, or is unwilling, to present in the rest of her life. For me, the artist-model session is a place for the model to be whatever she/he wishes to present. After all, being naked we are our true self.
ABOUT: My model, K speaks animatedly about travel and faraway exotic places. She is a travel agent, organizing trips to those places she is enthusiastic about. K has been to Africa, and has seen much there. She brought the Vietnamese hat as a prop, and it seems most appropriate that she pose with it. She’s very responsive to the use of props and likes to assume the character of the hat or costume she is wearing.
ABOUT: In Greek mythology, the Minotaur is a fabulous monster of Crete that had the body of a human and the head of a bull. Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos of Crete, was attracted to a snow-white bull sent to Minos by the god Poseidon for sacrifice. She had Daedalus, the greatest inventor of all time, create a disguise for her so that she could mate with the bull. The king, now a little upset, had Daedalus design an elaborate maze, the Labyrinth, in which to imprison the Minotaur. Eventually, the creature was killed by the Athenian hero Theseus The Minotaur represents our raw, beastial self, unconstrained by civilized culture. My model has such a strong body and a determined personality. Hence I subtitled it Bullish.
