The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander’s Photographs and NFT Art

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

Since leaving my oppressive country of birth (different from my homeland) and becoming an artist, I have always been inspired by freedom and liberty. Freedom is the freedom to make choices, pursue passions, and live without regret. Free will empowers us to make decisions and take actions that are purposeful in our lives. As artists and human beings, we must make conscious decisions that steer our lives in directions that honor and respect ourselves and those around us, and eventhough there is plety of bigotry and self-imposed judgement to go around, I challenge all of you as human beings to use your free will in this way. You will be glad you did!

– Maxwell Alexander

The Meaning of Freedom

Freedom is sometimes abstract; it’s sometimes literal. In his captivating body of work, Maxwell Alexander has made a compelling case for both. Through nude photography—and nude male digital paintings based on fine art photography—he’s explored topics ranging from acceptance to rebellion to shame. For me, nudity has always been about freedom, with just a touch of lust or sensuality mixed in, he says. To him, stripping down allows people to shed their inhibitions and really connect with one another as humans. His work certainly proves that point. While some nudes are provocative, others are playful and even celebratory. With every piece, I try to capture an emotion. Sometimes it’s joy or love. Other times it's sadness or despair.– he added. Whether we like it or not, our society is still heavily influenced by puritanical views on sexuality. Even today, nudity still carries a certain stigma and can be difficult to embrace fully. But while sex sells, art rarely does so well without it.

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art
The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

On the intersection between Nudity, Photography, Art, Homoeroticism, and Our Culture

We are increasingly desensitized to nudity; though many people cringe at seeing such exposure, we get over it quickly or ignore it entirely. We see far more nudity on our computers and mobile devices than anywhere else; nude photos in real life are becoming far less noticeable. Have you seen someone's nude body? Well, perhaps not a human being, but probably lots of other types of nude things. We do live in a capitalist economy and practically nothing is possible in it without monetizing the subject. Nudity or at least partial nudity has never been so prominent as these days of viral social media content. Is it bad, is it good, or is it just a normal path to human beings realizing their true nature on a planetary scale? After all, we are born naked; it's only as we grow up that we begin to clothe ourselves with clothes and social norms. So how is nudity perceived differently when one is in an environment where nudity is considered normal?

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art
The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

Celebrating Nudity and Homoeroticism Through Photography and NFT Digital Art

It's one thing to be able to appreciate nudity for its own sake, but it takes true courage to be able to capture it. That may sound odd at first, but think about what is entailed in taking a nude photograph; models are not just posing for an hour or two: they have chosen to open themselves up - skin, bones, and feelings. Their fears, their beauty; every inch of themselves laid bare before you. You are capturing their vulnerability. In order to make great art, you must be willing to do that too. In order to create greatness with your camera, you must also be willing to expose yourself emotionally as well as physically when necessary. Even though I drew and painted countless nude models back in my art school days, I have never been on the other side of the equation, said Maxwell. When we were on the lockdown, the combination of cabin fever and "the end of the civilization" kind of desperation, pushed me to open up and explore more. Social Media communities both have been instrumental in this process of coming out on a totally different level and I am very thankful for that. 

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art
The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

Nudity or nakedness? What does it mean?

The reason I love photography is that it’s so sensual. You can see things you can’t see with your eyes; it makes your eyes smart. It has beauty, intimacy, and attractiveness to it, whereas movies don’t have all that. They are static; they are just looking at a person standing there like a statue. But [with] photography, when you catch someone off guard or having fun, getting their spirits up—you get more out of it than if you were standing right next to them watching them do those things. There is something special about that intimacy between the subject and photographer, or in Maxwell's understanding is the intimacy between the ever-honest and truthful cosmic intelligence and the creator like himself. Being able to capture and visualize the eternal beauty, passion, and hormone overload is what makes nude photography and homoeroticism so exciting to me, he added. 

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art
The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

What's Homoerotic Art?

Yes, we are trying to package everything within our dogmatic social structures and brand it as "more acceptable" concepts such as boudoir photography and such. But is it really necessary anymore? We're moving forward as humans and evolving in our understanding of each other. When did we start labeling people based on who they love rather than what they do or how good they are at what they do — why does it matter? It doesn't make any sense! Love is love, and art is art.

The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art
The Rich Meaning of Naked Freedom and Homoeroticism in Maxwell Alexander's Photographs and NFT Art

Conclusion

Perhaps most importantly, freedom can be seen as a necessary condition for human development and fulfillment. Thomas Sowell has written on that subject, There is nothing wrong with being unambitious. But if you don’t have any goals at all then it is hard to achieve anything. How many people do we know who are just drifting through life? They say they want to get ahead but they never do anything about it. The lack of clear goals makes it impossible for them to get anywhere. So what does an ambitious person do? He or she sets specific goals and works steadily toward achieving them. Opening up and breaking the glass ceiling of dogmatic social norms could be the way to go, so why not get a print of Maxwell Alexander's homoerotic art from the HARD NEW YORK Fine Art Prints Store?