Guys, Light, and Nature

Upon opening the photo album and graphic exploration "Guys, Light, and Nature" the latest work by photo artist Manuel Moncayo you're instantly transposed into his almost surreal world bathed in the dimming lights of the dusk as nature is realized in a glorious fashion. "Capturing beauty is my way to satisfy an urge," the artist writes in the books prologue, "to learn about the world."

Through his lens the world is gauzed in the hues of the ebbing light of the afternoon, or the frosty glow of the morning. Choosing a palette for his work that is earthy yet still emotive, Moncayo eases the interloper into his narrative which is serene, yet sensual, but loathe of the vulgarity and blatant expectations of male nudes often associated with what's found in the genre of erotic art. Moncayo's work is sublime.

Trusting in the light to deliver the perfect shadows and give his subject the contours necessary whether they are treelined by nature, or electrified under neon. The male form is examined in alignment with the sculptured detail of marble and placed in context with classic architecture, evoking a beautiful marriage of the classic and contemporary. The images are romantic and copious in expression.

A favorite is one of a cypress tree with its drapes of leaves providing depth and texture unlike anything one can imagine, and in the corner a male nude standing in reverence of the scene. It has a serenity you wish you could bathe in. Moncayo also chooses his subject carefully; his models are not the muscle bound Adonis -- they are fit and accessible as not to distract from the environment they inhabit within the frame of each portrait.

Sun light beams through providing the anxious allure that is all the beaconing you need to follow Moncayo's subject into the foliage; creating a tempting provocation without engaging in the obvious. Light both natural and manmade is a recurring theme in the series, especially as the sun rises across a field of the waves of the ocean. Looking past the shimmer, the artist has placed his nude just so out of the reach beneath the waves for an enviable expression.

Moncayo also chooses to highlight interesting architectural structures including Ferris wheels and skyscrapers against beautifully colored cloudy skies, the transitions provide the perfect meditation and bring "Guys, Light, and Nature" full circle as a concept piece. Beautifully profound and expertly crafted, it's a testament to the artist's patients and drive to get just the right moment; elegant and inviting.

"Guys, Light, and Nature"
by Manuel Moncayo and published by Bruno Gm�nder
$29.99
www.brunogmunder.com