While splashes of color and texture can stimulate the mind in a myriad of ways, sometime visual drama can come from the complete opposite. This was the creative conundrum that confronted Guido Argentini while searching for an original approach during a 1995 Miami photo shoot. The result of that was quite unorthodox, as he coated his female models with silver make-up, creating graceful metallic figures.
The outcome of that creative experiment was beautifully radical, a bit bond-like, as the subtle greyish tones highlighted angles and surfaces in a manner that was akin to images from a spy thriller. Argentini liked what he initially saw, so he produced an entire series of metallic models. By doing so, he also created a new perspective on nude photography.
Posed in dance movements, these photographs of svelte models give the human body a sculpture-like presence enamoured with the vibrancy of ballet-like poses. It is the result of Argentini’s effort to produce abstract images, drawing inspiration from his passion for both sculpture and dance.
The collective images are celebrated in his 5th book, Argentum, which showcases dancers, aerialists and gymnasts. As works of art in motion, the silver paint helps to transform the various individuals into artistic forms.
Argentini is a Los Angeles-based photographer, however he traces his roots to Florence where he was born. He initially took up medicine before indulging a passion for photography. Ultimately committing his time to the latter, his work has been featured in many leading magazines throughout the world, including Playboy, FHM, GQ and Vogue. Argentum is his latest work, where he also uses angular shapes such as triangles and squares to create contrast against the fluid and supple bodies of the models.
“Evoking the luminous polished planes of the work of Brancusi and the verve of Degas’ ballet sketches, these photographs endow the human body with both the solidity of sculpture and the vivid energy of dance”, he said. “I always felt that photography was too close to reality. Painting and sculpture allow you to be more abstract when working with the human figure.”
See some images from Argentum here.
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