Rob Woodcox: A Maze of Bodies
It would come as no surprise if you have bumped into dreamy photos of entangled naked bodies over fantastic backgrounds: Rob Woodcox, the maker of such masterpieces, is being more and more celebrated and praised for his work, taking photography to a whole higher level. Let’s dig into his work!
Rob Woodcox’s art is deeply influenced by his personal history: adopted and raised with four siblings, money was never flowing in his family of seven, leading them to take nature-based vacations only. This allowed Woodcox to establish a true connection with natural elements as well as with people, since his chances of being alone were limited. Both aspects can be found in his photos: the subjects - who are all dancers - are always in groups, and the sceneries are naturalistic for the most part.
What might seem just an artistic choice is instead the expression of the meaning of Woodcox’s work: investigating the interactions between humans with themselves and with nature, and celebrating this relationship. This is also the reason why his subjects are dancers: according to him, dance achieves the most innate, human form of expression. The fluidity of their bodies is exactly what the photographer strives for.
Woodcox, born in Houston and now living between Mexico and the US, defines himself as a modern surrealist: looking at his art leaves one breathless, thanks to the positions of the dancers appearing almost non-human. Another element that cannot be missed in his art is the diversity of the subjects, making the photos deliver a message of true inclusivity.
It is also interesting to look at the way the latter is delivered: the focus is not on the skin colour, but only on the aesthetic. In this way, using any skin tone becomes something natural, as it will be once equality is fully reached. So, we can find people of every ethnicity and colour, but also men kissing and embracing their inner selves together. The same goes for women.
All of this, keep in mind, done with bodies that are naked or only very little covered, thus also breaking the taboo of nudity.
WHEN I STARTED EXPLORING PHOTOGRAPHY, I WAS STILL LIVING IN A VERY CONSERVATIVE MINDSET. I GREW UP VERY RELIGIOUS IN CHRISTIANITY. EVEN THOUGH THE BODY WAS CREATED TO BE USED AND WORSHIPPED AND CELEBRATED, I THINK IN MODERN RELIGION, A LOT OF THE TIMES, BODIES ARE HIDDEN AND SHUNNED. PEOPLE ARE ALMOST SCARED OF BODIES
One can’t avoid wondering the technique behind such shoots: a lot of post-production is involved to infuse a sense of weightlessness thanks to the image flying bodies that the photographer can achieve through Photoshop.
This feature is what stuns me the most in his works: my absolute favourite composition is Sky Climb, where the subjects appear to be in the sky and with an evident touch of symmetry that, to me, never hurts. This gravity-defying element not only looks absolutely scenographic and mesmerising, but also symbolises the bold moves that have to be taken into one’s personal journey.
Pre-production surely doesn’t play a minor role either: finding the right inspiration is always the first step. According to Woodcox, this can be found anywhere, even though most of the time he takes some time alone to envision poses and scenes taking place.
This also allows him to mentally wander back to his past, to his feelings and experiences: the personal component, as already hinted, is key. His unique approach towards inclusivity makes him hire people from his own community, and he takes care of every step of his work: the ideas are completely his, just like the choice of the sceneries, of the production and of the editing.
Mostly working in natural backgrounds, the shooting process itself is relatively quick, and therefore the major part of his work is in the pre- and post- production.
