Marcus Mok: On the ups and downs of shooting male nudes

The first thing you need to know about Marcus Mok’s new book "Liberate" is that there are very few frontal nudity shots.

Instead, the self-taught Singaporean photographer has chosen to shroud his subjects in anonymity, preferring to heighten the sensual aspect and aesthetic form of the Asian male body.

“The impetus for the project was really the fact that artistic male figure photography documented in a photobook was quite uncommon, especially by an Asian photographer,” says Mok when asked how the series of photographs shot over the past decade came about.

“I realized how few images of the male form being presented in a tasteful manner there were, even more so for images of the nude Asian male.”

Quick to point out that "Liberate" is more than just a glossy coffee table book, Mok hopes the book will inspire others to “divine their own personal quest for liberty.”

Lofty goals indeed, but Mok’s work is not without fans. The Singapore Art Museum and the Kinsey Institute in the United States have already acquired some of his works.

Here, Mok tells us more about the book, and the ups and downs of putting it together and how he persuades men to pose for him.

CNNGo: Aside from the nudity itself, what’s the biggest challenge when it comes to shooting nudes?

Marcus Mok: The male nude has been photographed so many times by so many photographers, hence it can be quite mind-boggling when it comes to originality of concept.

I have been inspired by great photographers like the late Herb Ritts and Robert Mapplethorpe, but remained true to myself when executing my own shoots.

I often form images in my head when I lay in bed just before I doze off … an occupational hazard at times, but I seem to thrive on it.

CNNGo: How do you find subjects to pose for you?

Mok: I get them through a few ways. Friends, and friends of friends through word of mouth, people I approach at the gym or at my exhibitions, people who write to me after viewing my website and more recently, through Facebook.

CNNGo: Have you posed for the book?

Mok: Yes, I did a series of self-portraits in a hotel room in Melbourne one evening when I returned from dinner.

I had noticed the beautiful lines that had been cast by the street lamps onto the bed sheets through the window blinds and decided that that would make a visually stunning image, so I set up the tripod and hopped into bed; good thing I didn’t fall asleep.

I’m proud to say that series of images has sold quite well. Go figure out where it is in the book, I am sure it’s quite easy to spot.

CNNGo: What are the more interesting stories behind some of the photos?

Mok: It is always challenging shooting nudes in public.

I have on several occasions done these shoots in cities in Australia, and also in more remote areas in Asia. I always make sure I’m out of the public eye.

One shot titled "Samson," is of a guy straddling huge metal cylinders; it was shot at an industrial site in Sydney. Every five minutes or so, hordes of people would walk past when the trains arrived. It was quite harrowing.

Then there is "Release;” we shot the photo in Melbourne -- it’s an image of a guy lying precariously on the edge of a pier. During the shoot, a woman walking her dogs was approaching and when the model started covering himself with a towel, she just smiled and waved, and said, “don’t worry!”

CNNGo: Some people may argue that the nude male form is not exactly a beautiful thing, what are your thoughts on that?

Mok: To my mind, the male form and the female form have vast similarities.

Both have curves that when accentuated in photography can be equally beautiful, sensual and captivating.

How you capture the male nude or female nude in all its grace, sensitivity and majesty is an art form.

But at the end of the day, art is subjective … one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

However, it is those who do not discriminate against certain forms of art or the subject, be it in photography, sculpture or painting, but instead see art as an expression of an artist’s creative passion who will truly enjoy and embrace art in all its entirety.

CNNGo: Finally, could you dispense some tips for our readers interested in shooting nudes?

Mok: Look at the existing work of good photographers, get a model who is comfortable doing it, and practice, practice, practice in the privacy of your own home.

Try and think out of the box if you can. Use a prop, I find that always helps.

If you are traveling with a friend in the great remote outdoors with no one else in sight, whip that camera out and start shooting –- you might just surprise yourself with the results.

Last but not least, have passion.

"Liberate" (S$99.95) will be on sale from June 3 onwards from John Erdos Art and www.theliberateproject.com, and from June 10 onwards from www.amazon.com.

Liberate

John Erdos Art, 6B Dempsey Road
June 4-June 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.