I chose 5 deviants to chose their 5 all-time favorite nudes on deviantART. Here are their choices. In Volume One I selected, *kahl, $Moonbeam13, =Katerina423, =IBinsanity and ^Helewidis.

*kahl

The title of this image evokes an immediate primal reaction of either sexuality or survivalist fear. The image itself only perpetuates the odd blurring between the two with a beautifully lit image of hard lights and deep tones. The man, twisted upon the bed, holding his head is not a man expressing ecstasy. There is pain, fear, shame, a gnarling of emotions hidden to us in the darkness as he shields himself from us. A tangle of blankets upon the floor, and a smattering of unidentifiable detritus upon the sheets only add to the increasingly tense and mildly disturbing tale which we, voyeurs, are left guessing at. The nude form recalls the twisted bodies of dynamic Greek statues, and the story it tells shows nothing less classical or compelling.

Far too often an artist's attempt at filth is contrived, or too collared by a model's inhibitions. "The Animal" portrays, without question, the very concept that its title suggests. The model, Juliane has let go of any need to be beautiful and instead allows her body to writhe and contort in the soil, placing herself in a vulnerable position. The photographer's saturated colors and closely cropped framing leave no doubt as to the focus of this piece. It is one in which the nudity of the figure is essential to its meaning and the heightened spectrum gives us a base raw taste of nature. There is no hint of green. There is GREEN. No hint of flesh. There is FLESH. This is and has been one of my favorite pieces since it was posted in 2005.

There are two things that define art as art. One is the expression of a concept, the other is an expression of form. In truth, regardless of how one defines art, it always comes down to those two things. Is the artist conveying an Idea, and/or are they expressing a celebration of Form? "Yucano" certainly conveys a dynamic energy which supports the artist's intent of representing Quetzalcoatl. What elates me more than anything in this image, however, is it's expression of form. The movement and engaged energy of the muscles, the compelling posture, the dramatic lighting. All of these are to draw attention to the elegant form of the body- not the fact that it is naked.

Amongst the Male Art Nudes, especially here on DA, is that the most any
of the images convey is "I have a penis." The shock of seeing an
exposed member is relied upon as the sole source of power. Well, hate to
let you down boys but...it gets old. You have them. We've seen them.
Hooray, move on. Where artists like Vidi excel is in the treatment of
the human body as an artistic tool- not as the whole package. They
expend the same level of energy to light, pose and plan their shots with
a male model as they do with a female model - and they force no less
emotion and effort from the men as they do the women. The difference
between an art nude photograph and a snapshot of a very pretty naked
person: what are we looking at- form and concept, or a naked body?

"Yucano" is premiere art.

The unfortunate watermark- unfortunate for its necessity- partly obscures and detracts from this image, however I had been lucky enough to see it when first submitted before such marks seemed necessary on DA. The clever composition and concept behind this image is rather
tongue-in-cheek as we peek through the slats at something worthy of
covetry. The light colors and bright, ambient light add a levity to the
image, yet hidden in the details is the slightly ominous, and disturbing
truths of voyeurism. The dark shadow of the perpetrator cast upon the
lower wall. The innocent, unaware poise of the model. Even the
dilapidated state of the plaster behind her gives a subtle hint at
depravity. The vibrancy of her skin and hair make it difficult not to
study her, only further thrusting us into the role of the voyeur, which
we already willingly occupy. A well-designed concept piece by
Fiercesoniaa, Voyeur is an image that glitters on the surface and grows
darker the longer you study it, a skill too few artists have.

In the study of design, one thing an artist learns is the weight of composition. Any given image can be broken down into basic shapes and lines, a portrait represented with squares. This is an exercise often done to bring greater understanding to the power of placement and the draw of ones eye through an image to a key focal point. I am fond of art that finds ways to cross the barriers of medium. We do not discuss "Impressionist" or "cubist" photography. My question is, why shouldn't we? Fidget's image plays with composition and in a rare example gives us compositional movement. The weight within the image shifts in a regressing spiral, the central figure the mastermind of its course. With only natural light and a well chosen location, the photographer created an image that pulls the viewer deeper and deeper, the innate form of a nude figure simple, more lines to seduce us into captivity. A brilliant example of the fundamentals of design. A painting of light on celluloid.

~~~+~~~

$Moonbeam13

I chose this because I'm a huge Bettie Page fan and this is a glorious tribute to that sex-kitten feminism she exuded.

I chose this because of it's strength. So many believe women are defined by the sum of their parts and this image just debases thattheory without question. It's courageous, and beautiful.


(One of my absolute favorites and you have to live with it.) The sexual masculinity expressed is so rock solid that you almost ignore the stockings because it just fits. There's nothing out of place, it's seemless and gorgeous. Real men wear pink I always say.

there's an irony to this shot. A cello is very feminine in it's hourglass shape and this composition just flows perfectly. Conceptually sound and fabulously captured.

Displays a tender loving moment between two people. It's soft, romantic and loving.

~~~+~~~

=Katerina423

This is such a haunting image that I have not been able to get it out of my head since I first saw it. This is my favorite kind of nude... a nude with a story where the nudity is the last thing that you think about. Generally, when I look at an image I have several interpretations (often contradictory ones) floating around in my head. For some reason, this image is ingrained in my mind in one single way. The second war, the second war this world fought against itself.... no one knew what it meant then. She doesn't know what it means either. What it means for her.. what it means for humanity. She sits in fear and looks out the window enjoying one of the last simple pleasures left at that moment.. a cigarette.... I think she knows nothing will ever be the same. I think she knows she has every reason to be afraid.

This is an image that I found only recently and haven't stopped thinking about. The tattoo and the wonderful lines of her body demand attention, but once I see her eyes I cannot tear away from them. This is a woman with stories. There is fear in her eyes... distrust... a false confidence. Who hurt this beautiful creature that she is so weary. Or perhaps the better question is... who did she destroy? Whose heart was ripped out through their navel? Who is now damaged beyond repair? This is the kind of image that I could write an entire novel around. It is subtle in its brilliance... which makes it all the more intriguing.

Jessica, `fidget, may no longer be on deviantArt but I think that she left an incredibly important mark on the community. She is, to this day, one of my favorite nude photographers and an inspiration to me. This image is so vibrant that it seems to resonate at a powerful frequency. The model is a real woman, not because she is not built like a plastic Barbie but because of what she is saying in this photo. She is reaching out for something so important to her. We may never know what it is, but I can venture a few guesses and I adore this photo for it. I would instantly hang this on my living room wall in a large format. As an added fun bonus, the tidbit about the Dean of Engineering is priceless.

I applaud Brad Miller, ~munkyhaus, for this photograph more than I can ever say. It is one thing to be physically naked. To bare your naked soul to the public is infinitely harder. All I will say is that this image is important and it will reach down your throat and grip your heart in a tight fist. I will not say more, it is unnecessary. Read what the artist has to say. He says it all.

One of the criticisms that the unenlightened make about the male nude is that it is not as "graceful" as female nudes. I dare anyone to look at this image and not be mesmerized by the beauty and grace of the lines of his body. I dare anyone to look at this and not have your eyes caress over his every curve. But there is also something beyond the sheer elegance and beauty... there is a sensuality and intimacy to this that will warm you up from the inside.

~~~+~~~

=IBinsanity

The texture and flow of this piece, and the expressive emotion, make this truly an artistic nude.

Something about this piece feels natural, animalistic, and raw - I can't take my eyes off it. I blame the zebra-esque lighting, which is odd for a nude.

From the first time I saw this image, it's been one of my all-time favorites. It feels like a scene out of a cheap 1930s silent film - but in the good way, of course!

Using props to convey a concept, and in this case an action that would otherwise be frowned upon, the artist has made an effective image with a depth of focus that drives your imagination wild!

And of course, sometimes it's the model that drags you in - in this case, the image has an original composition, but the boyish innocence and smokin' body of the model make this piece completely spectacular, and my all-time favorite!

~~~+~~~

^Helewidis

This photograph takes me onto other times. I love the sensuality caught in the model's eyes and the sense of ingenuity at the same time given by the model's pose and the room depicted.

I've selected this one mainly because it reminds me of one of my all time tales. Plus, it is a very well done photograph

because it mixes media and thoughts over religious murals and preconceived ideas!

because it plays both with religious icons and it reminds me of the guerrilla girls movement useof masks.

again, due to the play with religious motives... plus, it reminds me of Russia and Lynch!

~~~+~~~

I want to thank all of the deviants that made this feature possible.

^arachnid15