Nude photographer David Leddick's October-released book, "The Nude Male: 21st Century Visions," examines society's ever-changing attitude toward the naked male form. Here, in an e-mail interview with him, Leddick examines the advancement of the art form, the book's goal – and the future of naked men.
How did you get interested in male nude photography?
I bought a book by the PaJaMa photographers: Paul Cadmus, his lover Jared French and French's wife, Margaret. Pa-Ja-Ma, their first initials, was their joint name. I recognized among the beach photographs from the 1940s a friend of mine – a New York photographer, whom I had known in the 1960s. This was in the mid-1990s. I have only been doing books for the last 12 years. Strangely, my friend the photographer turned up in Miami Beach. He was still looking good, and I wondered what had happened to all the other young men in the Pajama book. The following week I was in New York, went to a Paul Cadmus exhibition and Paul was there. I mentioned seeing a friend in his recently published book, and he said, 'I know where most of them are. I'll send you the addresses.' And thus started my first nude book, 'Naked Men, Pioneering Male Nudes.'
Male nude photography in the last half of the 20th century could be separated into one or two basic categories: muscle and titillating sex. Your book, however, charts a different course. What societal forces have come together these last few years that have advanced the art form into a more individualized or personal expression of the male nude?
I attribute this very much to (how) the present generation (regards) their parents, who had pursued fame and money and acceptability and realizing they were far from happy. This generation is pursuing self-fulfillment, which I think was originally sparked by women's liberation. Male nudes started changing as soon as men needed to be sex objects, as women had been for generations.
Whereas once only the idealized male form was documented in male nude photography, your book presents men of all sizes, shapes, ages and colors – and each shows a personality, something that was often missing from earlier works. How difficult was it to assemble such a wide variety of men for your book? Did you contact any or all of the 140 artists presented in the book and ask them to shoot specific types of photos for you?
All of the photos and art in the book had already been done by the artists. I think our ideas of what makes a sexy man have broken out of the narrow window of the past, and artists are manifesting this.
Another unusual aspect of your book is the inclusion of other, non-photographic art forms such as pencil drawings and watercolors. What was your thought process behind this decision?
Art is art. Many very serious artists are depicting the male nude now, as men are emerging from their 19th century suits and ties. I wanted to show this.
As a recognized expert in the field, where do you see nude male photography 10 years from now? Or 20?
I think sexuality and its frank description is next. Having sex isn't that different from brushing your teeth. Everyone does it. So I think seeing it isn't going to be taboo. When you read graphic novels, you see they don't pull down the blinds when the characters make bamboola.
In conclusion, I think repression does terrible things to your personality. And I think the enormous desire to not offend the neighbors, which has guided much of the American culture, is disappearing as the neighbors are disappearing. The family as we have known it is slowly evaporating as we approach the end of the hunter/gatherer culture. The family of this generation will be couples of the opposite sex, couples the same sex, serial couples, friends living as an extended family and one-person families. Parents will think any of these solutions are okay. With this variety life will take on a much more complex and variegated expression. And sexuality will come out of concealment. Photography and art will express it. That's my take on it and I see many signs of it already.
