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A forum for Blog Community #1 of CSCL 1001 (Introduction to Cultural Studies: Rhetoric, Power, Desire; University of Minnesota, Fall 2011) -- and interested guests.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The Nu Project

The Nu Project is a photography project created by a Minneapolis based photographer by the name of Matt Blume. This project was aimed at defying social “norms” by photographing nude woman in their own personal space at home. In the description of the project, Blume states that, “The subjects wore little to no makeup, there was no stylist, no producer, no agenda, no props, no pressure, and no false sexuality. It was all about who these woman were as people and not symbols.” The point of this project was to “capture little bits of pure, undistorted humanity.” The environment in the photos creates the story of this person for us, and the physical features of these women let us assume the trials these women have faced. In looking through the photographs I believe that he did a decent job of representing the women as the person that they are, and de-objectifying women as we see them today. However, upon digging deeper into the information regarding Blume’s project, I found it interesting that he briefly mentions the retouching of these photos. In a project trying to defy the image we have of the female gender and body. Presenting the “undistorted humanity” may have been the goal, but it seems that reality can never really be undistorted.

I also found it interesting that only female models were used in this project. The project is aimed at revealing the true, natural female form in it’s own home environment with no mention of undistorting the cultural creation of how we view men. Upon looking at these photos we are made to see the natural female body, which helps us to create an image of these women as actual people. Men hold such a high rank in our society that it seems unbearable to reveal the vulnerable side of them and uncover the natural, uncharacterized being that they are.


View pictures from The Nu Project at www.thenuproject.com


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