J. Cyril Coggins, Personalized Nude Portrait Project

The show runs from January 12th through March 7th, 2019
An artist reception will be held on Saturday, January 12th from 4-6 pm.

The O’Brien Photo Gallery
2833 Willamette, Ste. B., Eugene, OR. 97405
541 729 3572
Open Weekdays, call to be sure we’re open.
email:  waltobrien1945@gmail.com
Website:  http://obrienimaging.com/gallery.htm

Starting on January 12th , some images from the ‘Personalized Nude Portrait Project’ will be presented by J. Cyril Coggins. Over a period of more than 25 years, in and around the Eighties, he worked in collaboration with each of twenty or so women to produce “personalized nude portraits”. Their aim was not to create precise likenesses as in classic portraiture. Nor did they aim at producing sterile classical nudes. Rather they worked to discover ways to express aspects of participants which were unapparent in a standard portrait.

This work was collaborative. There was no money exchanged, either way. One woman would pass on her experience in the project to another woman by word-of-mouth. Then, the second woman, to a third woman. In the end, about 26 women participated.

The project is a paradigm for conceiving of photography as being found in the interaction between three sets: graphic photochemical and interpersonal. When asked if she, too, could participate, he listened to hear whatever he could about her reasons for wanting to join the project. They would discuss what she wanted to portray of herself and who the imagined audience might be, and then worked together to produce the image

The process created some degree of empathy between the subject, the photographer and the intended audience. For, example, when suggesting a modification of one pose, the subject is temporarily taking the role of the photographer. In one instance the photographer took the place of the subject. Otherwise, the photographer maintained his expertise in questions of photochemistry and graphic design.

An understanding of confidentiality among all participants has been kept over these years.