Pinup Nude Book

In this pinup nude book, Ample Beauty, A. K. Nicholas pays homage to classic pinup. A key element of the artist’s style is to choose colors with the same discretion as when painting with oils. In art school, he learned to draw, paint, and make photographs. He learned not only to appreciate the choice of subject, but also to accentuate details. A prime example is deliberate color schemes that evoke emotions.

Using the technique of false color, A. K. produced a restrained color palette. The method is inspired by oil painting, where the artist imagines colors that, although conceivable, don’t duplicate the subject’s natural appearance. This process also pays homage to the classic technique of hand-colored photography. His method shares other techniques learned through painting, being applied selectively to areas of the image. Painters will often tint shadows and highlights differently in order to give a greater illusion of depth as well as setting a mood. For example, a warm-toned subject appears to protrude from cool-toned surroundings.

To elicit an emotional response, the artist’s process extends far beyond the initial photo shoot. He makes extensive adjustments to composition and color to impart his style. The color shifts and angles of view range from obvious to subtle. Although proficiency is important to him, his technique is only a means to an end and not a tour de force. The artist’s mind is fixed on designing the scene in front of the camera and interpreting it in a way that engages the viewer.

A. K.’s formative years were interspersed with influences of pinup. His earliest exposure was a pinup nude book by Hajime Sorayama, simply titled Pin-up, which he surreptitiously ordered at the age of thirteen to avoid the scrutiny by his parents. In his later teens, seeing the painting Great American Nude by Tom Wesselmann in a museum was his first clue that this type of art was not taboo to everyone. Years later, in art school, he was further influenced by the paintings of Olivia De Berardinis and photography of Helmut Newton.

American classic pinups were predominantly scantily clad subjects in paintings and illustrations. Some consider the golden age of pinup to have begun in the 1920s, and flourished through the 1960s. Notable pinup artists include Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren. It wasn’t long before photography began to imitate the costumes and scenarios of pinup paintings and drawings. Although the classic style of pinup is thought of as clothed subjects, nude imagery began to emerge as well. One of the oldest nude pinups that comes to mind is Marilyn Monroe, published in the first Playboy Magazine in 1953. A. K. learned about historical fetish photography through the work of a pioneer, Bettie Page. Although his style is far from fetish, an awareness of the genre by both the models and artist influences the outcome of their work.

Pinup Nude Themes

There are two distinct themes in the pinup genre. The first involves skimpy costumes such as bikinis or nightgowns. The second motif involves attractive young women in normal clothing that has suddenly become revealing. A well-known example of this is a dress being blown into the air as a woman walks over a subway grate. Number Please by Art Frahm shows a woman whose dress has been caught in the door as she exits a phone booth; her underpants have implausibly fallen to the floor in the “mishap.” The image shows a man looking on in amusement. This genre titillated the viewer with fantasy scenarios that departed from the modesty of the era.

The pinups of the past mostly depict women as partly complicit and unaware of being the subject of the voyeur. In contrast, A. K.’s collaborators are fully invested in the undertaking. The naive innocence of the venerable themes are replaced by playful performances. The contemporary model’s on-camera charisma is often a reinterpretation of the personalities of her forerunners. The models and photographer could not have created these images without some interpretation of the ideas of those who have gone before them. Although elements of pinup have been conspicuous in A. K.’s work for a while, he feels fortunate to pay tribute to past artists by re-imagining the pinup theme with this pinup nude book, his first compilation dedicated to the genre.

Pinup Sans Accoutrements

Traditional pinups, and the few preceding images, featured the trappings of feminine attire: chiefly in the form of lace stockings, hats and high heels. Although A. K. prefer to photograph models without these accessories, this project was an opportunity to explore and showcase the various uses of props within the compositions. In addition to conveying a sense of era and social station, these scant garments direct the eye through the image. They add contrast of color, texture, and line to provide structure to the composition. In their contextual role, garments help to create a story and spark the imagination, for example the man’s necktie draped playfully over nude shoulders.

Darker Atmospheres

Although pinups have historically featured bright colors, the photographer has experimented with somber tones in a few of the images. Departing from the core style is important in his process of experimentation. It is by branching out on various tangents that he discovers new creative territory. In addition to paying homage to pinup, he has a goal to challenge and redefine what it means to me. Color immediately affects the viewer. These darker palettes strike a more contemplative mood for the otherwise playful compositions. Monochromatic and reduced saturation bring more attention to the abstract composition of the body.

This project was launched thanks to Kickstarter backers.

If you want to buy original, signed photography, take a look at A. K. Nicholas’s limited edition pinup art.