With projects by Viviane Sassen, Steven Cuffie and Chad Moore, here are ten of the best photo series featured on AnOther this year expressing the infinite potential of the human body
The human body has long been a symbol of desire and vulnerability in art and photography. In 2024, the work of various artists and photographers sought to question long-held notions about the body and the politics of desire, capturing moments of raw sensuality or reframing sexuality as a form of liberation. From Arvida Byström’s digital self-representations that challenge the boundaries between reality and fabrication to Steven Cuffie’s intimate portrayal of Black womanhood in 1970s Baltimore, each artist brings a different lens to the body’s role in shaping personal and societal narratives, initiating a deeper conversation about the intersection of identity, intimacy, and desire. Imruh Asha’s vivid paper costumes celebrate transformation, while Sam Penn’s raw exploration of intimacy contrasts with Chivas Clem’s sensitive portraits of young Southern men navigating masculinity.
Below, read more about ten photo projects featured on AnOther this year that relate to the body.
Shot in 1979, Steven Cuffie’s portraits of Karen explore the intricacies of Black womanhood in 1970s Baltimore. Edited posthumously by Cuffie’s son, Marcus, the collection highlights the women’s individuality through delicate and playful imagery, capturing the women’s personalities with authenticity. “I try to make sure you’re confronting her gaze,” Marcus reflects. He notes that during the 70s, many depictions of Black women in intimate or erotic imagery were shaped by Black Power aesthetics or Blaxploitation themes. In contrast, Karen presents an unfiltered and deeply personal connection, blending themes of identity and vulnerability in a collaboration that spans generations between father and son.
“I am this magical digital creature ... as real as the real thing,” says Arvida Byström, reflecting on her book, In The Clouds, where she uses AI to deep-fake her own nude images, creating surreal, otherworldly depictions of her body, with three arms, breasts on her back, and fingers for ribs. These manipulated images blur the line between the human and the artificial, raising questions about how technology reshapes our understanding of identity, authenticity, and the body. Byström sells the images through a subscription platform, adding another layer of complexity by addressing themes related to sex work, body image, and desire in an increasingly digitised world.
Viviane Sassen’s Folio revisits her formative years as a photographer in the 90s, capturing her self-discovery and creative evolution. In the DIY spirit of the grunge era, she shot fashion shoots in her kitchen with friends, organised exhibitions and made zines. The book reflects the paradoxes of love, grief, and the intimate bond between photographer and subject, with her early self-portraits and abstract depictions of the body intertwining with her quest for self-understanding. Sassen reflects on the existential fears that once haunted her, embracing the darkness within and finding a newfound lightness.
In Paper Monsters, Imruh Asha playfully reimagines the human form through paper costumes, crafted from crumpled, torn, and rolled materials. Shot by Carlijn Jacobs, Osma Harvilahti, and Asha across Paris, Brazil, and the USA, the book presents a series of photographs that are elegant and vibrant, with surreal silhouettes juxtaposed with bold colours and playful forms. By using paper – a universally accessible material – Asha invites viewers to see beauty and potential in the ordinary.
Inspired by Mary Gaitskill’s cult short story collection Bad Behavior, Sam Penn’s exhibition of the same nameseries examines the emotional and physical landscapes of intimacy and relationships. Through a year-long exploration of personal upheaval and transformation, Penn captures raw, vulnerable moments between lovers, tracing a psychological journey that spans the end of one relationship and the beginning of another. On view at Balice Hertling in Paris, the show charts the complexities of desire, memory, and self-identity, exploring how bodies navigate emotional terrain and the delicate shifts between connection and loss.
Chivas Clem’s latest project focuses on a group often overlooked or misunderstood: young Southern men navigating life’s fringes, echoing the atmosphere of Wim Wenders’ 1984 neo-Western film Paris, Texas. Through 74 unfiltered portraits of drifters, ex-convicts, and outcasts, the series offers a raw and intimate portrayal of masculinity, challenging stereotypes of the American ‘redneck’. Capturing these men as they bathe, lounge, and exist with striking vulnerability, Clem reflects on the complexities of masculinity in America today. His work explores themes of identity, trust, and the delicate performance of masculinity in a society shaped by personal and cultural expectations.
Paul Phung’s debut book, Fallen Leaves, is a haunting exploration of dance, movement, and emotion. Shot over seven years, Phung’s monochromatic images capture dancers in motion, often deliberately blurred to evoke a visceral response, mirroring the dynamic energy of dance. “When I watch a dance performance, I’m not focused on following a clear narrative but on feeling the experience in my own body,” Phung explains. Paired with Maisie Skidmore’s poetic, non-linear text, the book dissolves the boundaries between photography, performance, and storytelling, immersing readers in the sensory and tactile essence of the human body while reflecting on themes of loss, longing, and beauty.
From wild late-night escapades to tender farewells, Oh, You by Chad Moore is a tender visual diary capturing the complexities of love, friendship, and change in New York City. Shot over two years, the book features intimate portraits of Moore’s friends, and is a raw and reflective exploration of joy, loss, and the ways in which bodies come together and fall apart. The work is a testament to the beauty and vulnerability inherent in human connection.
Pacifico Silano’s Shadow Cast repurposes archival images from 70s and 80s gay porn and erotica, focusing on the faces of men to shift the narrative from pure eroticism to one of reflection. The work meditates on loss, longing, and queer history, exploring the intersection of desire and danger, particularly within the context of the HIV/Aids epidemic. By highlighting the physical and emotional scars left by the crisis, Silano’s imagery navigates the tension between intimacy and vulnerability. Through this reclamation and subversion of iconic imagery, Shadow Cast invites us to confront the complexities of preserving and reframing painful histories.
MUD 5, the latest edition of the annual collaboration between stylist Georgia Pendlebury and photographer Arnaud Lajeunie, offers an unfiltered glimpse into the lives of young women living together in a remote house in Soulac, a seaside resort by the French coast. The book captures the pastel tones and dry pines of the landscape, celebrating both the spontaneity of the moments and the unpredictability of the interactions. It explores the complexities of girlhood, focusing on the delicate balance between intimacy, individuality, and shared experiences.
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