Fishnet

I don't usually like Terry Richardson's work. I'm not one of the people who is going to complain that his photographs are sleazy — of course they are! That's the point. All straight, male artists do erotic portraits. Even Rodin had drawers full of sketches of "forbidden" drawings, none of which do I like. The thing is, it's a piece of cake to make a woman's portrait more interesting, by having her pose in some level of nudity. I don't believe there is much artistic merit in that. I mean, I won't lie, I have my fair share of pictures of topless models (some by Richardson, too) but it's too easy. 

Here, however, I believe Richardson has done what he does best. When I think of the thousands of gritty, little polaroids upon which he has practically built his infamy, I think of vulnerability. Perhaps that is what so many people dislike; these candids make people feel dirty. In this portrait of Anja Rubik, he has captured that same vulnerability, but without anything more than an expressive face and a introverted pose. 

This is my favourite of all the planned pictures for my series. It was very hard to draw, and took nearly two weeks. I finished it August 20, 2012, on my mum's birthday. So I premiered it on her card. The original is pen&ink, and measures 8.5"x11", but can be done as a print or a painting.