For the photographer Bert van Pelt, male nudity is the ultimate means of personal expression. Engaged in a conceptual artistic process, he has been able to renew the genre of the male nude and give it a place in contemporary photography. His visual research leads him to place the male body in a committed and aesthetic context.
With the book (e)MOTION, Bert Van Pelt approaches the male nude in a very original way. His photographs are captured in film footage made by models with their smartphones. The images express a lot of emotions and authenticity.
For my video-photo project (e)MOTION, I ask people to make some little videos of themselves with their phones. This series started during the pandemic and allows me to work with models from all over the world, people that I could never meet otherwise. This project would not have been possible without social networking.
The models can be nude or in underwear. Authenticity is important for this project. I don’t want to take control, so I don't intervene when the models make the video. They express with their body and soul what they want. I only give some technical advise and ask to use a minimalist background.
With an application, I choose stills in the video and work on them. The project captures model’s intimacy and emotions. It is at the same time a study of movement..
I’m very grateful to all of the participants.
Bert Van Pelt lives and works in Liège, Belgium. He is represented by BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!, a platform for queer and gay art photography with famous photographers from all over the world. His photographs are regularly exhibited in Europe. (e)MOTION is his third book, following New Men in 2020 and Confusion in 2016
