From the editor

We live in a very alluring and compelling time. Never before in the history of man has the human body been used so extensively and carried so many meanings in the world of art and media. Depending on the when and the where, depictions of the figure can be objects of desire, a backdrop to sell a product, the outer shell of the human soul. Society has willingly exposed its physical ideals to the unrelenting lens of the two dimensional image and shows no sign of hiding in darkness ever again. It is with these ideas that I welcome you to the second issue of THE NEW NUDE.

Here, a truly international staff has come together under one common idea. We believe that the nude body has an important role in the world of photography, and it's about time someone put together a publication that is not afraid to say it. What other subject has sparked more debate, been the source of inspiration for great artists and writers, and reminded us how wonderful the human body really is all at the same time? My guess is that you would be hard pressed to find an answer.

What I have presented may be a fairly straight forward mission statement, but its execution is daunting to say the least. When dealing with a genre that can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways by thousands of artists, where does one begin?

The story of the nude is often said to run parallel with the beginning of man. Adam and Eve romped naked through the Garden of Eden, and their tale was the focal point for great painters, photographers, and illustrators since the beginning of Western art. However, THE NEW NUDE is not interested in telling the history of the naked body from the beginning to the end, partially because, as history has taught us, it cannot end but will instead become a stronger theme as the role of photography becomes more prominent in our culture.

So instead we must focus on the here and now and become a reflection of what is current in our time. The nude is often the ultimate muse for the modern day photographer and we plan to showcase for our readers some of the finest work being produced today. The second issue of THE NEW NUDE brings some exciting material out into the light. Our cover feature is a glorious portfolio by Petter Hegre in which he showcases some exquisite images shot in a Tuscan Villa. We also take you on a tour of the photographic collection of Don Sanders and showcase several great photographers such as Hywel Jones, Anton Robert, and Elisa Lazo De Valdez. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

As is the case with any publication in its infancy, we are spending a lot of time learning as we go. It's been exciting at the best of times and frustrating at the worst. But whichever way the pendulum swings it has always been rewarding. I for one am very happy to be here.

Andrew Kaiser
editor@newnudemag.com