'Portraits of Young Men in a White Shirt.' by Cleon Manz
I had this idea to photograph each male model or actor that came to my studio in a vintage tuxedo shirt I had lying around. At the end of the shoot I would ask the model if I could photograph them in this shirt.
Five years later, looking at the collection of pictures I've made so far I see very strong individuals and each person makes the shirt their own.
It seems that I've created a typographical document of men, specifically of a group of men chosen for their modelling & acting skills.'.
In men's fashion the white shirt is a classic staple garment not unlike the 'little black dress' in womenswear. It's invisible but it's there.
It enhances each man but also unifies them, it frames them. I'm surprised at how good it looks on all of them.
