[description: series of self-portraits posing naked with various trees]
The pandemic-induced lockdowns of 2020 must have incubated within me a sense of wanderlust, since for the past two years, my favorite hobby has been going out into the woods to get naked and take pictures.
Just over the course of this past year, and initially without consciously meaning to, I gradually came to the realization that I'd been taking lots of pictures on or near or interacting with trees. So, I decided to lean into it. I started going out specifically looking for interesting trees to pose with.
As a lover of nature in general and trees in particular, these images hold a special significance for me. They also reflect my interest in naturism - enjoying the sensations of being out in nature without clothing - while also demonstrating the beauty I find, as an artist, both in nature and the human body.
I've named this series "dendrophilia" (love of trees), which is a term I learned many years ago, after being captivated by a short but memorable scene in a David Hamilton film depicting a young girl's romantic encounter with a tree.
Whether to interpret this love as erotic or platonic is up to the viewer - I consider both interpretations to be valid. Speaking as the artist, I am not sexually attracted to trees, but neither am I disturbed by the idea. In truth, I do find that being naked in nature can be a sensual - sometimes even erotic - experience, and I am not ashamed to admit that.
I simply do not view sexual attraction as a destructive or degrading influence. I respect that which I admire, sexually or otherwise, and am invested in its wellbeing. Certainly, it is no more shameful to experience physical pleasure outdoors, than it is to engage in such mainstream activities as hunting animals, felling trees, and polluting the environment.
