In the shadow of social media, describing a nude portrait of a woman as “authentic” or “not performative” is often a subliminal way of acknowledging that the image has been composed according to an “alternative” set of stylistic constraints: soft, flattering lighting; pastel hues; a model with an vacant gaze rather than a come-hither pout. Lee Friedlander’s nudes, on the other hand, are stark in a way that will shock viewers raised on Richard Kern and Petra Collins. Black and white bring out body hair, wrinkles, and even dirt on soles, all captured in sharp focus. While the occasional flash of bush nods toward ‘70s jouissance, the ladies’ lack of clothes allows them to slip between past and present just as freely as if they were slipping out of dressing gowns. Oftentimes, the framing of Friedlander’s photographs seems entirely unconcerned with the subjects’ frames. Considering the way they’ve sprawled out on furniture with abandon (and often with their faces turned away), the viewer’s eye is drawn to gentle fluctuations of flesh rather than the curves we typically associate with the female figure. Are they exhausted? Luxuriating? In any case, they’re resting—something that women, especially naked women, rarely have the opportunity to do in front of the camera.
Lee Friedlander: 10 Nudes
CASTLE
941 N. Orange Dr.,
Los Angeles, CA 90038
On view through August 30, 2025