Nestor Rivera Jr

Guilad Khan

Twisted Bodies

When Nestor Rivera Jr photographs beautiful bodies, he transforms his models into surreal figures who float weightlessly in other spheres. The question arises involuntarily whether here form follows function or function follows form? In artistic excellence, he has limbs looped around each other, detaches bodies from each other, in order to reassemble them anew without constraint. From the nested body parts he creates abstract forms that detach themselves from their origin and history and unfold their properties as bizarre and sometimes disturbing objects in a completely new way.

Spontaneously, the procedure is reminiscent of Salvador Dali and his famous skull, which he made from beautiful naked women. In contrast to Dali, however, Rivera consistently treats the human body as design objects, which he also likes to decapitate. Bathed in noble light and with a smooth finish, the photographs are reminiscent of advertising shots of precious jewellery. And this is exactly where discomfort comes into play as soon as the gaze is turned from the form back to the body. Given the complete availability of the perfect body, who does not immediately think of genetic engineering and of man as a commodity in the economic system? So Nestor Rivera's beautiful appearance is deceptive; beneath the beautiful surface lies the abysmal.

Curated / Text:
Dr. Stefanie Lucci

 

Nestor Rivera Jr
* 1960, lives in Long Island, New York, USA


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(Images: Nestor Rivera Jr)