That's no big surprise, given that throughout art history the male gazing upon the female has almost defined the nude. And most of the models, unlike the ambiguous Austin hippie, are clearly participating in the project. But the narrow range of bodies is a problem in a history show intended to examine nudes through a hundred years of photography. The preponderance of nubile young beauties lends the exhibition a certain monotony. There are only so many ways to pose their curves for best erotic advantage.
Choreographers face the same problem.
One sees the same twists and leaps on stage again and again until a Pilobolus comes along to subvert dance convention. Like the best choreographers, Ruth Bernhard, the German-born American photographer, succeeds in reimagining the body. Seated on her haunches, she hugs one knee to her chest, the other to her foot. Beautifully lit against a dark background, the picture is at once a beautiful body and a sculptural abstraction. His model too pulls one knee to her bosom, and drapes her arms gracefully to the floor.