Outback Dusk features art nude photographs of handsome, masculine and sensual men within an array of hauntingly beautiful and raw outback settings.Paul Freeman has established himself at the pinnacle of his craft, not only as a photographer, but as a visual poet and artist, eulogizing as he captures the spirit of the rugged yet sensitive Australian male in all his physical glory. His genius is to find the right men to photograph and then tell an enthralling story with his vision from behind the camera. From the quality of the compositions and the lighting, through to the texture of the outback locations, these are some of the most perfectly executed and delightful photographs in any collection, and set a tone of sophistication so rarely achieved in books of the male nude.
Dusk, like its' predecessor Bushmen, features an array of beautifully built real men! These men are au naturel, mostly unshaven or bearded, naked, men as they are meant to be, at times dirty after a day's toil, figures in repose, asleep, bathing, washing, being playful with each other, and with the reader, or just inhabiting the many hauntingly beautiful landscapes in the book.
It is difficult to imagine a more genuinely magnificent collection of men unfettered by contemporary distractions or self-conscious falseness . This is the beauty of Paul Freeman's work - honest, celebratory, and deeply appreciative of man in his natural state. This monograph is a remarkable artistic achievement by one of our most important photographic artists.
Best known for his series of photographic monographs on the nude male, Paul Freeman's nude portraits of sports stars, Olympians and actors appeared between 1995 and 2005 in Studio Magazines' '(not only) Black And White', '(not only) Sport' and 'Blue', and in their books The Sydney Dream (2000), 'The Athen's Dream' (2004), and 'Sportbook' (2003)
In 1996 Paul wrote the best-selling biography of footballer Ian Roberts, ('Ian Roberts: Finding Out', Random House 1997).
His first monograph, 'Bondi Classic', was published to critical acclaim in 2003, and was followed by 'Bondi Urban' (2005), 'Bondi Work' (2006) and 'Bondi Road' (2007). This best-selling series, which takes its' name from Sydney's most iconic suburban beach, observes the contemporary young Australian urban male at home, at work and at play.
Equally successful has been Paul's Outback series, which uses the Australian bush and its' changing moods to explore Paul's male aesthetic, and to style and weather his subjects, varying thematic focus in each of 'Outback' ( 2008) ,' Outback Currawong Creek' (2009) , 'Outback Brumby' (2010), and 'Outback Bushmen' (2012).' Outback Dusk' has just been released.
His 2011 and 2013 books 'Heroics' and' Heroics II' are an exploration of the neo-classic nude male referencing sculpture and painting in Western European art, and even surrealist film interpretations. This work comments on attitudes to the naked male in public and art by juxtaposing our collective artistic heritage with contemporary reality and male physiques.
Many of Paul's books are available from Amazon.
Paul has made his mark in fashion and advertising, with international awards, from Cannes Lions to Clios, to his name.
He has a university degree in Arts, and studied photography at the Australian Centre For Photography in Sydney.
The New York Times art critic Robert Hughes' featured Paul's work in his 2000 documentary series Australia: Beyond The Fatal Shore.
Please go to paulfreeman.com.au for more information.
