George Dureau
Christopher Fisher (15265), 1985
Vintage silver gelatin print
20 x 16 inches
Artist Statement George Dureau aimed to reinterpret the classical idea of beauty in contemporary terms, approaching his work with a focused curiosity and a rigorous method of process. Chosen from...
Artist Statement
George Dureau aimed to reinterpret the classical idea of beauty in contemporary terms, approaching his work with a focused curiosity and a rigorous method of process. Chosen from the streets of New Orleans, Dureau’s models are unself-conscious, photographed in respectful, tender regard and with a playful sense of eroticism. Dureau’s nude photographs of Black men celebrate Black bodies, historically excluded or appropriated in art, presenting them with unflinching visual clarity and candor. A self-described ‘art-creature’, Dureau was a beloved figure in New Orleans and a cultural icon of Southern bohemia.
George Dureau aimed to reinterpret the classical idea of beauty in contemporary terms, approaching his work with a focused curiosity and a rigorous method of process. Chosen from the streets of New Orleans, Dureau’s models are unself-conscious, photographed in respectful, tender regard and with a playful sense of eroticism. Dureau’s nude photographs of Black men celebrate Black bodies, historically excluded or appropriated in art, presenting them with unflinching visual clarity and candor. A self-described ‘art-creature’, Dureau was a beloved figure in New Orleans and a cultural icon of Southern bohemia.
Exhibitions
2023, George Dureau: Up Close, Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2020, Art in the Time of Empathy, Arthur Roger Gallery, New Orleans, LA
Publications
Gefter, Phillip. George Dureau: The Photographs. New York: Aperture, 2016. (page 67)
