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Q. What first attracted you to the nude
as a photographic subject?
A. Let
me first say that I can't believe there are photographers who
DON'T do nudes. What else is there to photograph!? I think I have
always been mesmerized by the face and the body as imagery. Portraits
and nudes have such power for me that there is really no other
reason to pick up a camera. It seems to be something I
MUST photograph. It isn't so much a choice of subject matter
as it is a fulfilling of an inner drive.
Q. What is your philosophy and approach
to the nude?
A. Unlike
some photographers, I am happy to admit that there is a great
sexual drive involved in these photos. The nude for me is not
just form and shadow, but an image of sexual desire.
I think we should all face the fact that
humans are very sexual creatures, and males are especially visual
in this regard. When I'm asked why I don't photograph more men,
I say that, while I can appreciate the beauty of the male form,
I get little artistic charge from making images of men. Photographing
women is, for me, a process that always involves some sort of
sexual tension; and when that tension is translated into imagery,
I feel I've been successful.
For me, image-making is driven by passion.
And I believe the strongest passion we have as humans is the
passion for contact with the Other. The sight of a human face
or body is confirmation of the mysterious miracle of our own
existence. We are hard-wired to respond to such images. All I'm
trying to do is capture some of that mystery.
Q. In the past few years, you've worked with the rather
infamous "fetish diva", Midori, and to create a new
body of rope-bound nudes - does this reveal a more perverse or
darker side of Craig Morey?
A. Oh,
I don't think so. You'll notice that my work with bound nudes
is much more stylized and not mean-spirited compared to most
of the work of this type on the web.
The ropes, for me, simply add another dimension
to the imagery. Of course, the psychological / sexual aspects
of these images are undeniable, but I cannot let that stop me
from exploring this work. On the contrary, I'm working at this
just as I have with my classic studio nudes, to push myself into
an area that I feel has been avoided by other artists.
I don't see it as misogynist or perverse
to seek to explore all aspects of sexual imagery. (By the way,
surprisingly, I have received more requests from prospective
models for this type of work than for any other projects I've
worked on.)
Q. What are your future projects? What
direction do you see your photography going in?
A. I'm very interested in portraiture, and I hope to
work more intensely on faces in addition to bodies. I'm also shooting a lot of web content - erotic nudes with a much more commercial appeal - which is a lot of fun, and gives me a chance to loosen up a bit.
Also, I want to return to my series of nude
portraits started in Thailand in 2001. These young women seem so beautiful and mysterious to me, especially
since my communication with them is very limited - they don't
speak English and I don't speak Thai. Their culture treats male/female
relationships, sex, nudity, etc. in such a different way than
I'm used to - it's quite challenging to find the models, explain
what I'm doing and then capture their allure with the camera.
This will be an ongoing project.
Also, a great deal of my time is now spent
on the computer. Most of my contacts with
collectors and clients are now via email and my site.
It's a constant challenge to keep up with the technology.
And mainly, I'll keep the door open, so
to speak, to the unknown. The most interesting things that have
happened to me as a photographer have been by happenstance and
serendipity. If you just keep the door open, you never know who'll
walk in.
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