Digital Souls
The Clandestine project is a four-piece photographic series created in 2008. (Clandestine 0, Clandestine 1, Clandestine 2, Clandestine 8). It features France native François Sagat, a model and adult entertainer best known for his exotic and exceptional muscular physique.
Adamo Macri: I wanted to create a body of work that placed importance on negative space. Not necessarily a role reversal, but a balance in which the background becomes a predominant aspect of the image, a presentation of the subject in relation to space: object and emptiness of equal value, or background or emptiness as subject matter.
In the Clandestine project, a silhouette cuts into an abyss of black space like a vector, a human figure that is also a graphic symbol; form in relation to the aspect of three-dimensional relief and to a flat-out delineation.
Having just completed two other projects, One Onion Canon and Slide, which were somewhat my take on "film noir" consisting mainly of negative imagery, I didn't feel that I was ready to change mode without exploring other possibilities of utilizing it as a language as well as an obvious aesthetic.
I had thought about creating the Clandestine project, and how I was to convey what I needed to in a simple manner, without any idea of what the proper approach might be. It remained a side project until I completed the "noir" works. I was astounded by the results of that experience. Working in this manner was a completely new thing, and it was obviously the proper language in which to complete the Clandestine series.
I immediately conceptualized the Clandestine project, thinking that this approach would work best for the results. Through the whole experience I fell in love with how much more emotional the subject became once inverted, provided that the photograph was taken with the accurate lighting. The sensitivity aspect was thus heightened dramatically. I got excited about how introspective, sensitive, and fragile the subject became, regardless of a strong, solid appearance. It was like looking through concrete as if it were glass, a sort of transparent solid. This whole aspect humanized everything to a deeper level in a very communicative way. Then came the importance of the whole "ironic" approach as technique, which fit perfectly with the idea of creating "opposite" art, as opposed to negative art.
Negative space is vital. It determines composition and adds a dramatic quality to the mood and tone of the finished work. The relationship of the object in space is a major factor. My intent in the Clandestine project was to significantly offset the balance between the object depicted and the space it was in. The idea of self and solitude was another aspect that needed to be considered in working out the proportions. There needed to be an awareness of empty space, or what I refer to chasm, whether it registered as the depth of field or the psychological state of being. I wanted all those aspects addressed in the Clandestine project, and knew that they would work wonderfully with the nude figure.
Having just completed two other projects, One Onion Canon and Slide, which were somewhat my take on "film noir" consisting mainly of negative imagery, I didn't feel that I was ready to change mode without exploring other possibilities of utilizing it as a language as well as an obvious aesthetic.
I had thought about creating the Clandestine project, and how I was to convey what I needed to in a simple manner, without any idea of what the proper approach might be. It remained a side project until I completed the "noir" works. I was astounded by the results of that experience. Working in this manner was a completely new thing, and it was obviously the proper language in which to complete the Clandestine series.
I immediately conceptualized the Clandestine project, thinking that this approach would work best for the results. Through the whole experience I fell in love with how much more emotional the subject became once inverted, provided that the photograph was taken with the accurate lighting. The sensitivity aspect was thus heightened dramatically. I got excited about how introspective, sensitive, and fragile the subject became, regardless of a strong, solid appearance. It was like looking through concrete as if it were glass, a sort of transparent solid. This whole aspect humanized everything to a deeper level in a very communicative way. Then came the importance of the whole "ironic" approach as technique, which fit perfectly with the idea of creating "opposite" art, as opposed to negative art.
Negative space is vital. It determines composition and adds a dramatic quality to the mood and tone of the finished work. The relationship of the object in space is a major factor. My intent in the Clandestine project was to significantly offset the balance between the object depicted and the space it was in. The idea of self and solitude was another aspect that needed to be considered in working out the proportions. There needed to be an awareness of empty space, or what I refer to chasm, whether it registered as the depth of field or the psychological state of being. I wanted all those aspects addressed in the Clandestine project, and knew that they would work wonderfully with the nude figure.
I used the body to evoke symbolism, as human body language easily transmits messages to the public at large. The idea was to represent the figure as light, something that is simultaneously there but not. It had to come across as viewing the subject internally. Another important aspect was that the figure had to be blurry enough to become transparent, and let the heavy dark area become the solid. I was interested in covering all these grounds in the simplest manner possible.
The idea of blur and grain are important in this project, as they invoke the inner spirit of things; the sense of them as opposed to their aesthetic. They are applied as the stroke of a paintbrush to create a particular texture that conveys a strong physiological and emotional state of being. This state is an empirical basis for self-awareness, and somewhat of a debatable grey area struggling for a cognitive understanding of its reason for being. In this way both blur and grain are representational of imagery constructed by the mind. This imagery can never be clearly viewed close up; one must take a few steps back to get a better overview of what is going on. That said, the mind has it own magical way of collapsing an entire sequence into one simple image, which, when accessed, evokes a complicated scenario. That particular image will never be fully in focus: it is blurry, yet tells the full story and emits the correct sensitivities. This is similar to when one thinks back to a favourite movie or event, and only a few of the most prevalent scenes or moments will show up in one’s mind. These scenes and moments resonate, and encapsulate the entire film or event.
I planned the project based on my ex nihilo equation 0 1 2 8, characterized as the following:
The idea of blur and grain are important in this project, as they invoke the inner spirit of things; the sense of them as opposed to their aesthetic. They are applied as the stroke of a paintbrush to create a particular texture that conveys a strong physiological and emotional state of being. This state is an empirical basis for self-awareness, and somewhat of a debatable grey area struggling for a cognitive understanding of its reason for being. In this way both blur and grain are representational of imagery constructed by the mind. This imagery can never be clearly viewed close up; one must take a few steps back to get a better overview of what is going on. That said, the mind has it own magical way of collapsing an entire sequence into one simple image, which, when accessed, evokes a complicated scenario. That particular image will never be fully in focus: it is blurry, yet tells the full story and emits the correct sensitivities. This is similar to when one thinks back to a favourite movie or event, and only a few of the most prevalent scenes or moments will show up in one’s mind. These scenes and moments resonate, and encapsulate the entire film or event.
I planned the project based on my ex nihilo equation 0 1 2 8, characterized as the following:
0 = nothing
1 = one cell
2 = the splitting action of one cell into two equal parts
8 = addressing chasm as an empty yet viral area for possibilities to thrive in
Every aspect of my approach had to communicate the negative of something. For example, the form had to symbolize vector shapes, while the negative space had to have the largest coverage.
A critical element was to choose the right person as subject matter. François Sagat is the perfect candidate for the part, and authenticates the entire project. I wanted a person who represented the concept of masculinity, a renaissance man with a sculpted body that would be a captivating aesthetic in its nakedness. François was the ideal model for this project for all the right reasons. To a certain degree, I don't believe that Clandestine would make any sense without him. Beyond being an obviously very attractive man, his physical structure and proportions are accurately proportioned. He could easily be the model for toy action figures such as G.I. Joe or any other themed figure of that nature. He comes across as a human version of the wooden manikin that artists use as a tool for accurate proportions and positions.
The trenchant satire here is that the manner in which Sagat conducts his life and career is the complete opposite of anything affiliated with the term “clandestine.” This lifestyle evoked an allegory within the project that also needed to be addressed. The irony stands that in today's society a gay man is not regarded as a symbol of the superhuman or idolized as a heroic model in a way that an average male could easily and openly associate himself with. François’ image is, in fact, diametrically opposed to the notion of what constitutes such a model, and therefore perfect for the Clandestine’s mandate of "opposite" art. And yet, most men would love to possess physicality like Sagat's, and to be worshipped in a very discreet manner. Taboo?
1 = one cell
2 = the splitting action of one cell into two equal parts
8 = addressing chasm as an empty yet viral area for possibilities to thrive in
Every aspect of my approach had to communicate the negative of something. For example, the form had to symbolize vector shapes, while the negative space had to have the largest coverage.
A critical element was to choose the right person as subject matter. François Sagat is the perfect candidate for the part, and authenticates the entire project. I wanted a person who represented the concept of masculinity, a renaissance man with a sculpted body that would be a captivating aesthetic in its nakedness. François was the ideal model for this project for all the right reasons. To a certain degree, I don't believe that Clandestine would make any sense without him. Beyond being an obviously very attractive man, his physical structure and proportions are accurately proportioned. He could easily be the model for toy action figures such as G.I. Joe or any other themed figure of that nature. He comes across as a human version of the wooden manikin that artists use as a tool for accurate proportions and positions.
The trenchant satire here is that the manner in which Sagat conducts his life and career is the complete opposite of anything affiliated with the term “clandestine.” This lifestyle evoked an allegory within the project that also needed to be addressed. The irony stands that in today's society a gay man is not regarded as a symbol of the superhuman or idolized as a heroic model in a way that an average male could easily and openly associate himself with. François’ image is, in fact, diametrically opposed to the notion of what constitutes such a model, and therefore perfect for the Clandestine’s mandate of "opposite" art. And yet, most men would love to possess physicality like Sagat's, and to be worshipped in a very discreet manner. Taboo?
I love Peter Greenaway’s statement describing his Tulse Luper Suitcases film, something in reference to "prisons with a view".
It is often easier to better comprehend things once the reverse is presented, as the brain has its own special way of instantaneously inverting things as part of its basic mental function.
Adamo Macri: The Clandestine Series
Published February 22, 2010
It is often easier to better comprehend things once the reverse is presented, as the brain has its own special way of instantaneously inverting things as part of its basic mental function.
Adamo Macri: The Clandestine Series
Published February 22, 2010
