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The Fearless Project

A Polaroid camera and a bunch of men on the verge of orgasm set the stage for Justin Violini's "Fearless Project."

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Brief Bio/Artist Statement
Art. Fashion. Sexuality. Justin Violini holds a mirror up to each and curates atmospheres that explore our personal boundaries and limits through creative expressions.

Why are you a photographer?
I've always loved Polaroids and instant photography because of the joy of not waiting days for film to develop, I like that it makes everything look a little dated, and working as a buyer in designer clothing, I’m always seeing model casting boards full of Polaroids ... so they're sort of a turn-on.

To launch "The Fearless Project" and kick it off with the "Instant" installation, I realized I couldn't rely on formal training, and using a Polaroid was a very deliberate choice. Instant film is a quick open-snap-shoot-develop process, and in trying to accumulate a catalog of facial expressions at orgasm, it seemed the necessary format. The "baseball card collectibility" feel of Polaroids adds to what can be viewed as an ongoing documentation of boys and men persuaded to open the doors and jump in the sheets for many what is the very private moment of having an orgasm — but with a camera in their face.

I've also been recently developing a series, "Conversations With Diana," which involves photos taken with a Diana F+ reproduction camera. Totally the opposite of a Polaroid, as everything is manual; it's on medium-format film and requires a lot of attention to shoot. So the camera has been the bastard love child of my creative process. What started out as side pictures during editorial shoots have turned into full-fledged sessions involving the camera. If it didn't take two-three days for the film to develop it would be perfect.

What catches your eye?
Usually it is someone that feels secure with him/herself. You can see it in the way they walk, laugh, smile and their body language. It catches my eye, but that's not what interests me. I want to find their weakness — both the process of determining what that is and the ways they can overcome it are the driving force. It's the people that we admire and think of as brave, as fearless, that I want to test and see if that really is the case. Would they welcome the approach of a random stranger? Would they find a rush in something that causes them to push themselves? Would they be willing to have someone in the room with a camera while they are having an orgasm?

Outside of people, the things that usually grab my attention are paradoxes and humor. I was on Hudson Street a few weeks ago and stopped dead in my tracks to sit and stare at a knocked-over trash can that held copious amounts of gold and blue glitter makeup. It was club-kid nightlife mixed in with the day-to-day Manhattan monotony. The most interesting juxtapositions are the simplest of objects.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Charles
    Date posted: 10/18/2010 7:20:19 PM
    Hometown: London

    Comment:

    Really? A project that involves getting hot boys and models to take off their clothes- and it's called 'Fear-less'? Getting young men to display their sexuality is hardly an artistic triumph. Let's see some actual risk-taking please.

  • Name: Ernesto
    Date posted: 6/9/2010 3:09:36 PM
    Hometown: New York City

    Comment:

    Honestly. What is art anyway? Art can be anything. The person creating it is free to do whatever floats their boat, and if it's snapshots of random guys busting a nut, then whatever. I was one of the guys snapped for this project, and I think it's a pretty cool idea. I enjoyed myself and given the subject matter, I think it's a great shot. Like it or not, at least Mr. Violini had an idea and took the initiative to go out there and create something. If this project isn't your thing, or if you thought it was crap, then fine. Opinions are like assholes, and we welcome them. What is art without discussions and debates? However, for someone to say that this project isn't art, or that it "isn't art enough" is totally missing the point of what art really is. Art has many definitions. Look them up for yourself. When you do (and hopefully you do) you will see that this project is most definitely art.

  • Name: Stuart
    Date posted: 6/7/2010 3:59:23 PM
    Hometown: London

    Comment:

    Capturing the moment of the orgasm has been done by numerous artists over the years, myself included, and in many different styles. I like the "instant" idea as that's exactly what it is, instant, one moment it's there and the next it's gone. The use of Polaroid film adds another level to this, you only have one shot at capturing the moment. If you miss it, it's gone (until next time).

  • Name: Jeffrey
    Date posted: 6/6/2010 3:33:36 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    It's definitely a cool idea. And I like the fact that the work is so varied. Some shots appear to be artist self portraits and others are polaroids the curator took. I definitely look forward to checking it all out on the 17th - thanks for the tip, Advocate. Glad to see you're reporting on projects that are pushing the envelope a bit.

  • Name: Lance
    Date posted: 6/6/2010 2:10:10 PM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    Having read the thoughts/comments vs. just looking at the pictures it seems to be fairly interesting how it relates to getting over 80 strangers (to some degree i guess, a few he hooked up with) to commit to doing this. And also that guys all over the world are getting behind it, seems like a social expeirment, fun, art project all rolled into one.

  • Name: Danny
    Date posted: 6/6/2010 8:35:02 AM
    Hometown: Tournai

    Comment:

    Another weekly soft-porn feature from the Advocate, whose quality of reporting is now so low that they are depending on cheap skin shows to make a buck. It's now just one step away from Fingerhut or Tetu.

  • Name: Rachel Garber
    Date posted: 6/6/2010 8:14:37 AM
    Hometown: Philadelphia

    Comment:

    The first photo reminds me of a couple of the pictures I've seen on the Internet of actor Rob Pattinson, Edward from the Twilight saga. Very sexy and compelling. The rest not so much.

  • Name: Bryan
    Date posted: 6/5/2010 10:19:08 PM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    Blah

  • Name: Paul
    Date posted: 6/5/2010 10:16:22 PM
    Hometown: Floral Park

    Comment:

    You are correct. Only #1 was worth looking at.

  • Name: Andrew
    Date posted: 6/5/2010 9:43:47 PM
    Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

    Comment:

    Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, I think this artist has done something really interesting. The iconic image of the Polaroid snapshot, now quite rare instantly captures the viewers attention, while the content brings new meaning to the term "everyday moments." Really quite clever I think. :)



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