Customer Reviews

Intimate Strangers

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Kobi Israel is not only a fine photographer, he is an observer of the human condition. Originally from Israel he moved to London's SoHo district where he noted the inordinate number of isolated strangers, men without connection to him whose stories Israel felt needed telling. "Soho is full of posing, but also full of feelings and emotions - loneliness, excitement, fear, passion and self-discovery are all aspects of living in a big cosmopolitan city." "We are all foreigners among foreigners here - everyone you lay your eyes on is a mystery, an enigma."

Israel began capturing his subjects on film. "I selected my models very subjectively, often without having a plan beforehand. Some sessions were triggered by a smile on the street from a passer-by, a shy look in a bar, an erotic chat on the internet, or just by following the body language of someone across the street from my coffee table. Sometimes, a moment of intimacy unexpectedly revealed itself during a professional photo session for a model portfolio."

The results of this handsome portfolio are in the subjects, the emotionally lonely poses, the phenomenal eloquence of Israel's lighting effects, and the fragility yet compassionate frames he has captured. Yes, there is pairing and intimacy here, yet the overriding message comes from the eyes and tenuous postures of these beautiful men captured by an artist who understands human vulnerability. Recommended. Grady Harp, July 05