A Kickstarter for a project called The Box, has just ended, with just over $26,000 raised to make it a reality. So what is it? Well, it’s a rather intriguing coffee-table book, featuring images of naked men contained in and around the titular box.
The brainchild of respected New York photographer Ron Amato, the funds have been raised to help cover help cover final production and printing costs for the monograph. And if the images above and below are anything to go by, it’s certainly something to look out for.
Amato comments, “Boxes trap, boxes hide, boxes protect, you receive gifts in boxes. We’re told to “think outside the box.” Pandora had a box. This project uses boxes as vehicles for expressing different stages of my life as a gay man. The object at once represents an obstacle and a tool for acceptance and pride…
“These images represent a collaboration with over thirty men. They reflect a diversity of ages, cultures, races and lifestyles. We started each shoot discussing the themes of the project and what I was trying to communicate. Initial images involved interacting with a box, each collaborator bringing their own voice to the project. It was very much like a performance, each bringing a unique physicality to the project. The dynamics shifted as I choreographed the interactions, putting together men who were strangers, lovers, husbands, friends and coworkers. I only intervened if I could encourage deeper exchange and exploration. As the project progressed, I was able to refine my communication with models to get very specific results, having found words to reflect ideas that resonated with me since the beginning of the project…
“Most of my artwork explores issues of sexuality. The enigma of attraction has been an ongoing question. With The Box I was able to explore those themes more deeply, helping me develop a better understanding of myself as a gay man and the larger gay universe… I am confident that my work will take a different trajectory because of the knowledge and awareness I gained making this project. I can move on from many of the questions that have puzzled me in the past. However, attraction still remains an enigma, maybe more now then ever.”
Take a look at some of the pics below. The book itself should be available early 2017. You can also visit Amato’s classy, but NSFW website at www.ronamato.com.
Leave a Reply (if comment does not appear immediately, it may have been held for moderation)