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Alec Soth's Photographs Capture Males Outside Of Society (PHOTOS)


First Posted: 02/17/2012 3:22 pm Updated: 02/17/2012 3:22 pm

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For the past four years Alec Soth has been taking photographs of men who, frustrated with societal constraints, flee civilization to inhabit the natural landscape. Soth's subjects simultaneously emanate anger, mystery and deep-seated vulnerability. In a previous interview with The Guardian, Soth explains his technique, saying, "I use an 8in-by-10 in view camera and I put a dark cloth over my head, so it's a very slow process, and people have to be still." He continues, "I like this because I prefer the subject to be quiet and move inside themselves, so they are in a reflective state."

What is the inner life of a hermit like, you ask? There is something unsettling about the men in Soth's images; they quietly address the interior struggle between savagery and civilization, between masculinity and sensitivity. It is clear that the men place great trust in Soth; the natural urges for both bold masculinity and sensitivity lurk in the shadows of their honest faces. Their haunted, faraway expressions create equally haunting imagery, the wilds of the woods mirroring the recesses of the mind.

Soth's exhibition "Broken Manual" will show at Sean Kelly Gallery until March 11.

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For the past four years Alec Soth has been taking photographs of men who, frustrated with societal constraints, flee civilization to inhabit the natural landscape. Soth's subjects simultaneously emana...
For the past four years Alec Soth has been taking photographs of men who, frustrated with societal constraints, flee civilization to inhabit the natural landscape. Soth's subjects simultaneously emana...
For the past four years Alec Soth has been taking photographs of men who, frustrated with societal constraints, flee civilization to inhabit the natural landscape. Soth's subjects simultaneously emana...
For the past four years Alec Soth has been taking photographs of men who, frustrated with societal constraints, flee civilization to inhabit the natural landscape. Soth's subjects simultaneously emana...
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Esteman
20 Fans
04:56 PM on 02/18/2012
More, please.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
FDRbyGodDemocrat
Liberal, nerdy, and festively plump.
437 Fans
05:47 PM on 02/17/2012
Good grief, it's the Cajun from "Southern Comfort"!
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nooone
0 Fans
03:41 PM on 02/17/2012
If these subjects are not willing participants to your thievery of them, then you should be ashamed of yourself for such exploitation. Rather, you seem undeservingly proud of yourself. No wonder they have removed themselves from the leeches of society.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
PCCNYC
71 Fans
07:01 PM on 02/17/2012
The press release says that the photographer gained the men's trusts; this took place over a four year period. But the question of photographing people who do not want to be photographed, like the Amish and some Native Americans, is a controversial subject. I've read articles where some photographers argue that if a person is in a public place, he or she loses the right to expect privacy. I personally don't agree with that viewpoint.
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Mary Keck
39 Fans
 
03:07 PM on 02/18/2012
Without these photos, how would the rest of us experience this side of culture? Should we not be educated about alternative lifestyles? Perhaps these people were compensated or their permission was asked.

Based on your definition of "exploitation," Nooone, journalists are constantly exploiting because they take photos of events that feature people in an effort to inform the public. Where do we draw the line?
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