by Anna Randal
Arno Rafael Minkkinen is a photographer, famous for his mysterious black-and-white nudes in nature. Through his work, Minkkinen has opened a discussion on spirituality. This discussion begins with one of his naked figures interacting with nature as they become part of a landscape. In many of his photos, the photographer has played with the concept of illusion, with his subjects blending their parts with the natural habitat, in series of brilliant and surreal takes.
When asked about being a nudist, Minkkinen doesn’t consider himself one, “I don’t want to be seen as a nudist. But there is something about how close you get to the act of creation by walking around by yourself in some stretch of forest in Finland, with nothing on, looking for a photograph, climbing rocks and moving around like a monkey. Bared assed and just digging your toes into the soft earth, you really feel like you’ve been created.” (Source)
