Incubus’ Choice: Close-up on Joel Gilgoff

What message(s) do you want to express through your work?

My work expresses the connection between women and art. Using the magnificent curves of the female body as a canvas for original paintings is the theme of my Color Nudes series.

Which artists inspire you? Who are your masters?

Much of my inspiration comes from current fashion photography – I’m more interested in the end product than in the photographer. I enjoy the work in W Magazine and some of the older posing in Met-Art.

What have you gained by being on the internet?

The internet has allowed me to create an on-line portfolio that I can expose through email links to international galleries. It has also allowed me to use on-line facilities like PhotoStop.com to distribute my work.

Did the internet enable you to meet new models, to find new exhibit places?

I find most of my models through the web. I attend many local photo shoots where models are present as the “interview phase”. Those models that I like the most are then booked for private paid shoots. I always provide the models with corrected images for their own portfolios and also publish many photography books using the images taken at both the TFP^(*) and private shoots. Many of my books are seen at my LuLu storefront.
My listings on One Model Place and Model Mayhem bring many requests from models for shoots to build their own sites.

Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

Fortunately my work is seen more as art than pornography so I have never been censored. However – that being said – even my mildest work has been turned down for display at local galleries as being too risqué.

What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

I am working on two new photographic series French Postcards and Pinups – using contemporary models to recreate the old images.

Could you tell us a few words about the place you live/work in?

Fortunately I live and work in Sedona, Arizona – one of the most beautiful spots on earth. I shoot both indoors and outdoors throughout the state of Arizona. I have a large home studio.

Editor’s note: TFP is an abbreviation for Time for Prints or Trade for Prints, and describes an arrangement between a model and a photographer. Instead of paying for each other’s services, the photographer agrees to provide the model a certain number of prints of the best photographs from the session and a limited license to use those prints, in return for a broad model release.

Roger Eager	Monday, September 1^st 2008
Beautiful original work! Joel has created a whole new extension of art & photography.

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