Sometimes, words should fail us. This is one of those times.
One of the best new American photographers I'm aware of is Colombian born
Alejandra Guerrero. In her work she explores and challenges female roles as
sex symbols and is an active participant in her own carefully staged, emotional charged tableaus.
I came across her photo sessions, on
Flickr, with pop sex goddess Julie Strain - a woman who has been photographed from every angle and every position possible. The key difference between all the illustrations and photos that I'd seen prior was that Alejandra included herself in the photos as a
photographer. One with a searching eye. She appears to be trying to understand the mystifying attraction of Julie and also asking herself where she fits into the wider audience.
Alejandra is also a very beautiful
model. When she is
in front of the camera there is an hypnotic obsessive search occurring. A search that revolves around defining crucial mile markers of self-image and esteem. I dig the way she stares back into the barrel of the camera lens sharing a candid reflective moment.
In her serious work
behind the camera, there are often extreme contrasts (clothed vs. naked, tied vs. free, beautiful vs. ugly) represented through two models having these kinds of wild physical encounters that often have a third party included as a voyeur (
A,
B,
C). Her work is deeply provocative and sexually charged. Even the stuff that borders on porno borrows all the cliches - w/out the back hair or penetration but with the burning vitality. In this aspect, the themes of her compositions edge their way into deeper classifications of the nature of desire. Raw savage foreplay.
Alejandra's work explores the nature of being a viewer and empowers those who are viewed. She gives the term "sex act" a whole new meaning. Challenging, feisty new work.
References:
The New York Dolls sucked. They were an "image" band that posed as tranvestites and screamed like angry Bowery Bums yet they sold 10 million records. In 2003, The New York Dolls self-titled album was also named one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone. To top things off, they played a wildly successful reunion show in 2011. And yet, they still sucked.