“Fascinated by the shared vulnerability”
It’s all about trust
What fascinates me most about taking pictures of nudes is the shared vulnerability. That’s why I mostly work with models who trust in me.
Intimacy and fun
In order to get to a stage of shared vulnerability, I need to create intimacy between me and my models. I like diversity and thus working with all types of bodies and gender identities is crucial.
I prefer to work alone, so the model and I can develop an intimate relationship based on mutual respect. Another important part to creating my pictures is just having fun!
A transcendent experience
Creating a picture usually starts with an experiment: I try to manufacture a transcendent experience that is built upon a feeling of confinement and meditation. I make use of composition, colour, physical positioning and the tactile quality of the materials. Then I objectify the body so it appears confusing or broken. This image is ultimately transformed into a symbol that is part of its own visual language. A series of pictures evolve naturally out of this process.
Specific aesthetics
Equipment plays a major role in my work, as they all serve to create my specific aesthetics. Lighting, camera and even the printing are carefully selected to match my vision. Projects to come will be built on the same aesthetic visible in my past work.
Joanne Leah
Born 1978 in Landstuhl, Germany
Lives and works in New York City.