The Pittsburgh Nude Project

“…as we were driving down the road after a long day of work, we started brainstorming. We were trying to find a way to combine our talents for some sort of photo project …something a little bit different. Something involving the city of Pittsburgh immediately came to mind. But not the traditional image of Pittsburgh — the one of buildings and bridges — instead a more personal representation of the area’s landscape and architecture — the people. New York, LA, Paris and Milan claim to hold the bounty on this market, but we thought, why not our area? So after much planning and thought, we have found an eclectic blend of unique and beautiful Pittsburghers who were not only kind enough to pose for us, but explain to us who they are in a very candid and honest fashion.” These words and thoughts launched our inaugural project and had become something bigger than we ever imagined.

Back in 2003, we had no idea what an amazing, challenging, frustrating and rewarding artistic endeavor laid out before us. The project was designed an ongoing exploration of the themes of identity and persona. Real Pittsburghers baring their souls, their physical selves and their identity. Photographs, written essays, interviews, paintings/illustrations, and music make up the exhibition, which was then integrated into this film. This 2 minute excerpt is a small sample of the full 30 minute movie.

This is considered Phase 1 of the project… (lo-res clip)

Excerpt from our “Pittsburgh Nude Project” film from Brent Isaac & Kim Rullo on Vimeo.

As we journey through this blog, we will highlight a few images and writing samples from this project. For now, I will leave you will the write-up from our first show at the Blue Ruin Gallery.

from the Blue Ruin Gallery website:

The City Laid Bare: The Pittsburgh Nude Project

Pittsburghers lay bare exactly what is at the heart of the city, what makes it unique—themselves—in this first exhibition from The Pittsburgh Nude Project, opening Saturday, June 4, 2005 at Blue Ruin Gallery.

The Pittsburgh Nude Project is the collaborative effort of two Pittsburgh natives, photographers Kim Rullo and Brent Isaac, who initiated the project as a means to “capture the essence” of the people who inhabit this region. At the heart of this endeavor is the quest for identity as it seeks to answer the question: Is identity really who we are or merely a means to an end?

A variety of models serve as subjects in this project, and span differences in location, background, age, shape, profession, and gender. While they were photographed nude as a way to capture a part of the person they are—or who they believe they are—this also conveys the sense of vulnerability that is a part of sharing your true self. As such, the models played a more active role in this process than merely subject. Through detailed interviews they revealed much about themselves to the artists, and they also helped to provide ideas for or design photo shoots that would best express their perception of self.

The heart of this exhibit is traditional framed photographs exploring the landscape, artistry, and beauty of the human body while also revealing the private personas of the models. The PNP also includes writings about identity, an audio collage of the models’ answers to identity questions, and a multimedia presentation combining these aspects of the project. All will be featured in the opening night exhibit.

The Pittsburgh Nude Project original poster (logo by Lisa Cunningham)