There is a chain of thought that suggests that in order to master something, one must endeavor to approach it or experience it from all sides. Nancy Murrian has been a model for a few of years and is married to Richard Murrian, the photographer.
Who published an entire book of his photographs of her. But for the past four years, Nancy Murrian has been finding inspiration behind the camera. Although she started with what she knew best- the female nude, last year she changed her focus to the male nude, and hasn’t really looked back.
Murrian as a straight photographer who focuses on the eroticism of the male body from a woman’s perspective falls into a minority of erotic artists. It’s hard to pinpoint the differences between homoerotic art and heterosexual art- and I would quickly say that in some ways, there is no difference at all. Yet sometimes in homoerotic representation of male sexuality, it is apparent that the desired audience is another male. This isn’t to say that it can’t also be attractive or erotic to a woman (or even a straight male), but you do tend to be aware of when the focus is not necessarily ‘at you’. One gets no such feeling when looking at Murrian’s work.
What I appreciate about Murrian’s photography is how she has taken the male figure and found a way to capture and show us what she sees as beautiful about it. Her style is a bit soft, and a bit classical, but this only enhances, and does not detract from, the masculine qualities of her nudes. In her work, the male body is celebrated in its curves and lines and details. I appreciate how in some photos she focuses in on the small and specific details- it elicits from me the sense of that close intimacy of being with a partner and knowing every fine detail about them. I know that most of Murrian’s work is on her pay site, but I hope she continues to update her free site as well, as her explorations and style grow and develop.
Article by Kayla
