We started Searching4Eden as a way to approach nudes in a natural way. It is a rebellion against the traditional nude in that most of the series is unposed and spontaneous.
It started as a day at the pool, skinny-dipping with friends. Everyone took photos of each other and in those moments Searching4Eden was born. The innocence of that afternoon, all of us fully naked, had a sense of nostalgia to it. The openness and purity of the images reminded us of a simpler time when we were growing up – before nudity became sexualised and socially ‘unacceptable’. We knew right then that we had to shoot this series.
We wanted our project to be just as much about the experience as it is about the photo. We have only one rule when shooting… everyone gets naked. We found that clothing created too much of a divide between us and our subjects. It’s the fundamental difference and it has changed the whole experience and tone of the series. Suddenly we are all equal, we are all perfectly imperfect. Nudity just becomes normal.
This led us to ask ourselves some deeper questions. Why is nudity such a taboo subject? Why is it equated so readily with sexuality? Why are people so ashamed of their bodies? What is normal? What defines beauty? These have become the themes that our project evokes… but they are not its entirety.
Searching4Eden is about finding that place within each of us that is innocent and care free. It is about personal freedom and finding ones true strength. It’s about going back to the beginning and starting again. It’s about rediscovering your own Eden.
