- Simon Lohmeyer captures nude images of his models and partakes in the same manner.
My influencers in the realm of nudist photography have always been the legendary figures like Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, Ryan McGinley, and Jürgen Teller. Despite their inspiring work, it was essential for me to establish my unique identity. The key for me was to step out of the role of a peeping tom. How do I achieve this? I opt to bare it all through my intentions. This establishes an equal gaze and shared experience of nudity.
There's a carefree enthusiasm, an audacious and generous fun that unfolds spontaneously when the camera captures us in our rawest form.
Nudity instead of sweat-sodden shirts
My initial ventures into this artistic domain were with my ex-partner Jen during our excursion in Southeast Asia. Our pictures were primarily focused on nudity due to a simple motive: Tourists rarely look appealing, people wear functional attire for practical reasons, sweat-soaked t-shirts, peculiar hats, and sweatbands. The only way to capture captivating images while traveling is to discard all that and embrace our natural states.
The vast world isn't the English Garden
Photographing nudity in foreign lands comes with its set of troubles. Nudity is a taboo in many cultures. As a Bavarian resident accustomed to Munich's down-to-earth and conservative ethos, one must acclimatize to these cultural nuances. It's not unusual for locals to drop trou occasionally in Bavaria, and napping naked in the English Garden is a cultural heritage.
However, as a culturally sensitive globetrotter, one must adjust to local customs, without question. We ensured that no one observed our naked posing in the backdrop of nature.
Content to be sometimes innocent and silly
My ideals are the countercultural figures who roamed naked at Woodstock, casting aside their bourgeois values along with their clothing. I admire personalities like Uschi Obermaier, who became a symbol of various revolutions and continues to embody freedom and audacity that many of my contemporaries lack. While their views of the world were undeniably naive and sometimes even preposterous at times, I cannot imagine a more enchanting prospect than embracing that very innocence and being silly during our struggles for our beliefs.
The exhibition "Simon Lohmeyer – The Art of Journey" will be on display from October 31, 2024, at the Leica Galerie, Maffeistrasse 4, in Munich.
My friend, Jen, was an important collaborator during our nudist photography excursion in Southeast Asia. Despite the cultural taboos in many places, we ensured to respect local customs and avoid any inconvenience or discomfort to others.
