These Images are portraits that are a collaboration between the photographer and the sitters – where there is no static formality of the positioning of the subject. The subjects select their location whether it is a private, public, or intimate space. Followed by adding text/story to accompany their image.
Naked Britain began during the early part of the year 2005. My aim is to photograph 100 models) As a British resident, Anastasia intends to place the focal point of her subjects within Britain, hence ‘Naked Britain. However, she will be opening this project to other countries in the future – on her travels. This is an ongoing lifetime project.
This is an anthropological project, which takes a look at ‘the self’ as a raw individual as well as their response to society. The representation of ‘the self’ is portrayed with an element of exposing their identity, and whilst being brought up in a western society where clothing is a part of their attire, the shedding of these garments symbolically adds to this element – as if it is a vital part of acceptance. It is not only about being naked in a physical sense, (without clothing) but metaphorically as well.
Before, during and after taking part in this shedding, many times results in a healing process depending on why and where my models have chosen to represent themselves. It could be past trauma, a childhood memory, a disability, a physical disfigurement, an escape from a white collared conservative daily routine, or simply someone who no longer wishing to pay much emphasis on the pressures and expectations that go within British society, but rather begin to process ‘the self’ for who they really are beneath the layers.
Anastasia has always been one to challenge the boundaries within society…constantly questioning the ‘norms’. She approaches life in a fearless manner, loves being thrown into the unknown, the unfamiliar, and seeing what results come to the surface.
Naked Britain was a natural progression, which evolved from her body of work ‘Photographing the female’ which has also been an ongoing exploration she began during her teenage years. While Naked Britain has some parallels with this work, its main purpose is to disassociate the aestheticism of the naked body and put it into a discourse of individual expression. Her models choose the location as well as giving a voice whilst writing in their own words on why they decided to get Naked for Naked Britain – Naked & Vocal
‘Photographing the female’ are mostly ‘black and white’ abstract nudes where she focused on the aesthetics within the concept of the vulnerability being perceived as a pure form. With this perception, it was transformed into beauty rather than a negative state of being, as well as recognising the individual’s difference when stripped of their identity, and seeing the equity of the human form. View Gallery
Naked Britain, a journey into “Self” and “Awareness” 