Yearbook is a single artwork that consists of over five hundred studio portraits of over two hundred models, always in the nude, printed on vinyl and glued to every available inch of the La Termica’s walls, in Malaga, Spain.
Everyone always says it helps to picture the others naked to calm one nerves. Well, unfortunately for me it is work. In my fifth year at Parsons School I took a class with George Pitts. The class was called “Nudity, Sexuality, and Beauty in Photography.” It had such a big influence on me that I’ve adhered to those three words throughout my entire career.
When I got that first camera, I got my wings. I started to relate to the world in a new way. It gave me permission to ask, to not be shy, and to step outside of what was accepted. I was addicted. Photography ended up being a combination of all the different majors I had considered. It brought together the color palate of painting, the emotion of poetry, and the balance of design.
It’s romantic as hell what we do. See the beauty and uniqueness in this world. Be a keen observer of life. Photography is about questioning, and the root of the word question is “quest”. Keep seeking out whatever it is that excites and inspires you. Make it your quest. Be very open to the idea of chance and surprise. Respect and honor your artistic insanity. If you work hard enough, you’ll experience the happy accidents that is art.
Ryan McGinley
Ryan McGinley Yearbook, A Constellation of Portraits
November 19th to February 4th, 2017
La Térmica, Málaga
Av. de los Guindos, 48
29004 Málaga
Spain
