Vivienne Maricevic Livres

"As far back as I can remember, I have always been attracted to people, places and things that were different. The road less travelled has always been my choice to explore. Therefore it was natural for me to be interested in photographing subject matter that offers many challenges, obstacles and difficulties dealing with the pathology of our times with references to sociology and psychology.Transsexuals are unique in that they are compelled to come to terms with the male and female aspects of their personalities and bodies. Many transsexuals look like regular women in full-dress all the time, so it was important for me to convince them to be photographed nude. The majority feel that there are many men and women, but only a small group who are 'special', meaning they have breasts and a penis.The triptychs of the transvestites and drag queens reveal the temporary metamorphosis of men who choose to transform their image to relieve male pressures or for the fun of it. It is all about sexual stereotypes, the making, breaking and reshaping of those roles. This series concentrates on men who have explored these realms. They all can be viewed as accepting the yin-yang manifestations within us all and remembering that we are all different, unique and beautiful."Vivienne Maricevic (from inside front cover

Vivienne Maricevic's desire to reveal, challenge, and transform the imbalance between the frequent representation of the naked female form and the rarity of male nudity is led to more than three decades spent devoted to the unadorned male form. While capturing scores of male subjects, she discovered that the majority had never been photographed by a female; the men all welcomed the role-reversal and the opportunity to confront the disparity it suggested. Included in this compendium are more than 150 images from three of Maricevic's most distinct 1975-2005's "Naked Men," all taken in the subjects' homes; 1994-2002’s "Me & Men," with Maricevic cleverly engaging her subjects by inserting a piece of herself into the frame; and 2001-2005's "Strip-to-Strip," an homage to Eadweard Muybridge's iconic "Horse in Motion." Her bold, creative synergy solidified a career built on intimate photographs of men au naturel. They are, at times, playful, erotic, or controversial – but always beautiful.