STEVEN R. TABOR
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Highlights

Are certain body parts inherently obscene?

I started to shoot art-nude portraits a few years ago when privacy concerns in Europe began to make street photography problematic, and thereafter when COVID forced everyone indoors and mandated mask-wearing in public spaces. I was initially drawn to art-nude photography because I felt that the female form was more-than-sufficient to tell the kinds of stories that I wanted my portraits to tell. I also had the sense that images of women dressed in different costumes would unnecessarily complicate the portraits, or would make it seem as if the woman was there to display her clothing rather than to tell the story that I wanted telling.


But along came “cancel culture”. This included the belief that the mere act of gazing at another human being creates a subjective power difference, which arises because the person being gazed at is perceived as an object, and not as a human being. Moreover, "cancel culture" also held that the male gaze tended to represent women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the heterosexual male viewer. By this logic, any art-nude photos taken by a male must oppress women in general, and the female subject in particular.

While it is true many art works depict women as objects of male sexual desire, others don’t. And not all photo sessions involve subjective power differences.
Nor do all male photographers aim to depict women as sexual objects.


But “cancel culture” has taken hold, and there is now the commonly held belief that the public should be protected from nude female images. This is the reason that most social media sites ban the showing of nude images, or require that “real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples” be blacked-out of the images that are posted. I often hear from models that they post art-nude photos of themselves only for these to be taken down or that their social media accounts have been suspended because someone reported that their images included offensive body parts. 

Limits to free speech are generally tolerated only when there's proof of imminent danger.  But what imminent danger could nude photography pose, particularly to an informed adult audience?
Moreover, can any part of a human body really be considered inherently obscene?

For this series, I present
images of various models who have posed for art-nude shoots. Many of these portraits are outtakes, and while they didn't tell the stories I was aiming for, they aren't bad images. To make these "politically correct", I've marked up these photos using digital highlighters to hide those body parts that some might find offensive or obscene. If nothing else, this series illustrates that “body-part censorship” is subjective, silly and, ultimately, simple-minded.

If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here. 
                                                                

Next Series
  • Home
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    • Kampung
    • On Safari
    • 3 October
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    • Forbidden Pleasures
    • Garden variety
    • Outsiders Painting Large
    • Streetvew Weddings
    • Hanging out
    • Marching to prosperity
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    • I am Sri Lankan
    • The haunting of Rogers Forge
    • My early years
    • Conflict
    • Let their voices be heard
    • Pure light abstracted
    • Chap Go Mei Zumba
    • Wild Tales of Serendib
    • HONfest
    • Homage to the Anatomy Lesson
    • Celebrating Rembrandt
    • Pride
    • Painting bodies
    • Landings
    • Mia
    • Less is More
    • Inked
    • Tattoo 2022
    • Noir et Blanc en Couleur
    • Girl and a cane
    • Poses
    • The bird people
    • Send in the Clowns
    • Picture Frames for People
    • Hold the Line
    • The Waking Hours Before Dawn
    • Bathing
    • 'Scapes
    • Ode to the Vegans
    • M in the House
    • Sofa Sofa
    • Big Fish
    • Lekker Lezen
    • Hands Off
    • Guitar Muse
    • Tulip Twins
    • Reflections
    • Bars
    • Bear Necessities
    • Sanity
    • Corona Spring
    • The Long Kiss Goodbye
    • Anahí: In the Wind
    • Sunset Beach
    • Projections
    • Anahí: Recumbent
    • Projections Volume 2
    • Projecting Malevich
    • Projecting Escher
    • Projecting Skin Deep
    • Projecting Léger, Miró & Pollock
    • Projecting Decorations
    • Projecting Mondrian
    • Projecting Mandala
    • Projecting Illusions
    • Projecting Words and Bodies
    • Projecting Kandinsky and Rothko
    • Projecting Mondrian on Zoi
    • Projecting Real People
    • Endurance
    • Unsuitable
    • Stairs
    • Veiled
    • Veiled II
    • Fall Colors
    • Pulp Fictioned
    • Lakeside
    • Creation
    • Bed, Boots & Bath
    • Mask in the Mirror
    • Relaxing
    • Freestyle
    • Natural Light Portraits
    • Showerscapes
    • Unwrapped
    • Mirror, Mirror
    • Pieces
    • Projecting Nature
    • Projecting Origami
    • O'Keeffe Reimagined
    • The Rolling Stones' Tongue
    • Repetition
    • Minding the Store
    • Lovebirds
    • Greece 1973
    • Bouzigues Remembered
    • Murals
    • Blond on Blond
    • Splatter
    • Hot & Cold
    • Stay-at-Home
    • That Scene
    • Dafne in the Mirror
    • Dafne on the Vine
    • Outtakes
    • Headshots
    • 3-6-9
    • Underground
    • Wild Thing
    • Eye of the Beholder
    • Tulip Arrangements
    • Projecting Kate Ri
    • Expressions
    • Ghosts
    • Carrot-top
    • Camouflage
    • Digital Waves
    • The English Sailor
    • Windy Beach Night
    • Quiet Hours
    • Cloud Illusions
    • Big Fish Selfies
    • Dreamcards
    • After
    • Burlesque
    • Unmute Us
    • Natural Beauties
    • Backlit
    • Ankie
    • Joiners
    • Projecting Van Gogh
    • Covering up
    • Lines and Curves
    • Lobster Time
    • Home Decorations
    • Clawin' to the Top
    • A Helping Hand
    • Fireworks
    • Lockdown
    • Meshed Up
    • Cheaper by the Dozen
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Sparkle
    • Parking Lot
    • Lounging
    • Me and Me
    • Projecting Impressionism
    • Projecting Dubuffet
    • Portraits of Manya
    • Amsterdam in 2 Minutes
    • Trio
    • Ankie Doubled
    • Ankie B&W&R
    • Projecting Shunga
    • Portraits in Ten
    • Chained
    • The Bollenstreek Flower Parade
    • The Muse
    • Jumpin' at the Lido
    • Sliced
    • Horror Story
    • Nadia
    • Highlights
    • Festival Time
    • The Līgatne Paper Mill
    • Gaudeamus 2022
    • Jāņi
    • Behind Glass
    • Trystdom
    • Woodstock on the Water
    • The Juggler
    • Projecting Nicky
    • fête
    • Marché
    • Unnatural Disasters
    • Shadows
    • Leading Lines
    • Y.T.
    • Bear Skin
    • Dash of Color
    • Window Frame
    • Afternoon Delight
    • Ameria
    • You Win Again
    • Projecting Ameria
    • Not Your Plaything
    • Mourners and Swimmers
    • Antonyms and Synonyms
    • Dread Queen
    • Wicca and the Alphabet of Love
    • The Chat
    • Phantom Body
    • Happy Faces
    • Down and Out
    • AI Blue
    • Warming Up
    • Long Legs
    • Ellen
    • Autumn Leaves Bodyscapes
    • Shopping with Spike
    • Leaf Me Be/Travel Pics
    • Seated, quietly
    • crabby
    • Sri Lankan Moods
    • The Pescatarian
    • Baking
    • Life Is
    • Both Sides Now
    • Is There Anybody Here
    • Amie
    • Till Victory
    • Tight Rope
    • Big Yellow Taxi
    • Graceland
    • Racetrack in France
    • Bloody Motherfucking Asshole
    • Naima
    • Found Me Somebody
    • Angel from Montgomery
    • Moondance
    • Sammy's Song
    • Into the Mystic
    • Bertha
    • Baltimore
    • No Other Love
    • Cantaloupe Island
    • You Can Leave Your Hat On
    • Don't Smoke in Bed
    • Country Road
    • Hallelujah
    • Song for my Father
    • Yuma
    • She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
    • Ain't No Sunshine
    • Go Down Moses
    • God Only Knows
    • Come Together
    • Treme
    • (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
    • Sunshine, Superman
    • Spoonful
    • Summertime
    • Rhapsody in Blue
    • Gender Wayang
    • Old Man
    • The Motorcycle Song
    • Boots of Spanish Leather
    • Big in Japan
    • Satisfaction
    • Paris, Texas
    • Here Comes the Sun
    • What a Wonderful World
    • Trouble
    • Waitin' Around to Die
    • What the World Needs Now is Love
  • Stories
  • Contact