freckled unclothed male torso. Huge traps and lats. seemingly taken in a locker room. arms outstretched as if to catch the light that falls onto shoulders. black and white. dramatic shadows. This body is clearly well trained and disciplined. Very solid and stationary. Reminds me of a marble sculpture from the Renaissance. I am curious who this is and why he agreed to pose. Why is his head cropped out of the picture?
lines: interesting negative space above and below the arms. The angle that the picture was taken at draws my eye down. Locker room doors are a bit distracting because they are asymmetrical, which could be remedied by straightening the photo. The line down the midline of his back echoes the locker doors which works nicely.
shadows: the rage of shadows is fascinating and beautiful and capture the roundness of the muscles (under the arms and shoulders down to the waste and hips).
Composition: Arms outstretched reminds me of Christ on the cross but again may need straightening and I would be curious to see it in color. The position seems dominant and somehow also quiet. This picture looks like the humility of a hard worker and simultaneously the arrogance of every human being (wide open for interpretation).
These two statues were found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea after being lost for centuries. Their hard, exaggerated physique preserves classical Greek idealism. How do their bodies compare to the body above? Poseidon's outstretched arms above are poised for action. How is his stance different from the picture above? Why is he frozen forever in motion?
And what of the athlete below? "Diskobolos" also comes from Classical Greece. How do the ideas and standards of manhood then ring true of manhood now? What is the use of a manly athletic build? What is it's purpose?
