Clothing is laden with information that can be superfluous to the meaning of the work or lead to assumptions about individuals. Without clothing, there is little that allows you think you know anything about a person before talking to them. Also, there is something about being casually nude with someone that promotes togetherness. During Naked State, I will interview naturists to capture a hint of their core. I may ask questions such as: How do you feel about your body?; How do you feel about the bodies of others?; Where do you find yourself most at peace?; What is the one thing I need to know about you to really know you? I will pair text from what they tell me about themselves with photographs that show their individual beauty to express the quality of life one experiences when one’s nude body is embraced as a genuine and honest state of being.
My foundation is in sculpture, so I have always been aware of the way my work is experienced physically in space. Now, I make a lot of work that exists between media, but it retains a relation to the body. I do not believe the body is merely a vehicle for the mind. The mind and body are inextricable. I am fascinated with all the daily rituals of maintenance that are necessary for survival, like eating, sleeping, and bathing. These acts are steeped in our senses and occupy much of our time. If we neglect them, we suffer physically and emotionally.
Alessandor Rachael is an emerging artist in the United States who just graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Sculpture/New Media from Weber State University. Rachael intends to attend graduate school in London, England, after taking a year to develop a practice outside the university setting.”