Flipping the Naked Camera is a photography project designed to challenge preconceived perceptions of photographic art nudity versus ‘not-art’ nudity. By altering the audience’s perceptual experience, the project aims to normalize taboos surrounding nudity. It poses the question: While nudity and art have traditionally coexisted, why is nudity itself often a sensitive subject? How does the context of art nudity affect the perception and reception of the work?
Throughout Matthieu’s university studies, previous works primarily involved collaboration with models in the photographs. This project represents a slight step back from being solely behind the camera while still directing the overall theme of the series. The main objective is to challenge social perceptions of what is publicly acceptable compared to what is privately acceptable, exploring the subject from a different angle: by obstructing or removing recognizable human elements. This approach aims to retain the ‘people’ aspect of photography and art without centering the work on individuals as primary subjects.
The Flipping the Naked Camera project involves setting up to capture risqué images on a mobile device while utilizing the view of the flip camera. This method presents the point of view from either the sender or a third party, depending on how the shot is taken. Each image is intended to feature an anonymous subject with minimal human elements visible—such as an elbow reflected in a mirror, toes peeking into the frame, or an extreme close-up of a shoulder or collarbone—while avoiding distinguishably ‘private’ body parts. The final presentation is planned as a series of untitled print images displayed in a non-contextual and non-sequential manner to challenge viewers about how perspective influences the meaning of a photograph.
Art-nudity has become a controversial topic within the broader context of art-nude photography, particularly with the rise of modern and digital technologies that have become more widely accessible. On May 22, 2008, Australian contemporary art photographer Bill Henson faced criticism from the Sydney community and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for displaying an underage nude model during the opening of his 2007-2008 exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington, leading to the exhibition’s cancellation. PM Rudd characterized Henson’s artworks as “absolutely revolting” and lacking “artistic merit.” The exhibition also attracted the attention of New South Wales police, who seized several artworks to assess their legal status under the NSW Crimes Act and child protection legislation.
The Flipping the Naked Camera project was undertaken as an effort to challenge social perceptions of the acceptability of art-nudity, with Matthieu pursuing this direction knowingly, hoping it would provoke controversy. In a modern age increasingly focused on avoiding offense, Matthieu observes that “the more inclusive we become, the more we exclude” and seeks to counteract social stigmas that were once considered acceptable. Henson has remarked that “great art is about empathy, whether it is literature or music or photography” and that art “is about feeling the experience.” In line with these sentiments, Matthieu’s project aims not only to evoke emotion from its audience but also to encourage audience participation within the series.
***
Flipping the Naked Camera draws inspiration from Uta Barth’s 1995-1997 series “……………………in passing,” which consists of ten images featuring out-of-focus outdoor backgrounds with an in-focus foreground element protruding into the edge of each composition. This project attempts to follow a similar style, incorporating images with a protruding foreground element that is part of an ‘original subject’ cropped dramatically. Following Barth’s vision of presenting peripheral views and fleeting glimpses of scenes, the artist aims to “point [the viewer] back to our perceptual experience as the primary point of engagement.” Additionally, inspired by Bill Henson’s perspective that art should become an experience, Matthieu seeks to present the series as something to engage with rather than merely observe.
The project was initially inspired by Matty Mo’s Snapchat project “Happy Birthday The Most Famous Artist,” but gradually evolved away from that influence. Mo’s project involved an Instagram/Snapchat post soliciting nude photographs from followers, which were later displayed and sold in a New York art gallery. He justified calling the nude Snapchats “art” by claiming that his work is inspired by his life on the internet, with the intent to create viral content that challenges perceptions of what qualifies as art.
Throughout the project, Matthieu received mixed responses to both the project itself and the collection of various pseudo-risqué images. The initial reactions from some participants were anticipated, with a few declining to participate due to the project’s premise before receiving a detailed explanation. Participants who did submit photos provided positive feedback regarding the experience and presentation, collectively noting that the decontextualization through the presentation of the images removed the ‘intimacy’ typically associated with sending a risqué image. One participant humorously remarked on how they had taken the time to look appealing, only for the background to be “an absolute mess.” Matthieu believes he has achieved the initial goal of challenging social perceptions of what is publicly acceptable compared to what is privately acceptable to a satisfactory degree, concluding the project within the allocated timeframe while leaving room for potential expansion and deeper exploration in the future.