From the editor

Over the past decade I’ve put a lot of thought into a question that plague’s all those who have ever picked up a camera; when does a photographer transcend the title of mere craftsman and join the ranks of those who call themselves artists?

Where does one end and the other begin? The great Helmut Newton always insisted he wasn’t an artist. A pornographer maybe, and most certainly a photographer, but for him the term artist was a dirty word. On the flip side however, I know of many family patriarchs who spend decades chronicling the growth of their children. Snapshot after snapshot the photographs they produce, from their own point of view, are more worthy of the term ‘art’ then all the worldly treasures housed in the Guggenheim.

As the editor of an internationally circulated photography magazine, I have the pleasure of looking through countless images every single day. By my own accord, some of them I consider art, a great many more I consider merely photographs; fledging depictions that could one day turn into something much more.

My question becomes even more important when we look at the current debates between art, nudity, and photography in Middle Eastern countries. It is here that we can illustrate the point that the answer to my question lies not only within personal taste, but within religious and cultural backgrounds as well. The New Nude magazine brings this debate to a focal point by presenting two very different artists working from the region - Rama Surya and our very own Petter Hegre.

One photographer whom I know wears the title of artist with a great deal of pride is Victor Skrebneski and The New Nude magazine was fortunate enough to sit down with this no-nonsense gentlemen for an exclusive interview. For more then a generation Victor Skrebneski has defined the worlds of fashion, portraiture, and of course the nude with a crisp clear and almost haunting style. For this editor, peeking into the mind of one of the fathers of modern photography is a real treat.

Perhaps not quite as iconic, but no less striking is another photographer featured in this issue; Andreas Bitesnich whose mastery over the basic symmetry of the ideal human form is so technically flawless his artistic sensibilities border on pure craftsmanship.

With an advanced degree in Art History behind me, and countless hours spent pondering the difference between artist and photography, creativity and simple image making, the only real answer I can come up with to an absolute certainty may be a bit of a cliché. Beauty is always most certainly in the eye of the beholder.

One person’s art is another individual’s trash. The best we can do as a community is to set a general consensus on where one ends and the other begins. Here at The New Nude Magazine we try to provide a broad spectrum of work appealing to a wide range of tastes and so far I believe we are succeeding with that goal.

All this of course is not possible without you the reader. So thank you for joining us and please send us your feedback so we can continue to grow!


Sincerely

Andrew Kaiser
Editor for The New Nude
editor@newnudemag.com