The SPACE Art Gallery welcomes JD Dragan and his beautiful portraiture of the Black male body.
From Michelangelo’s David through Weston’s Pepper, Dragan brings a multitude of classic and contemporary art history influences to his images. The result is “Modern Day Classics”.
Using a medium format film camera and Gelatin Silver, Dragan captures the exquisite detail of the nude form. Dragan’s use of light in the studio creates the perfect arena to showcase these finely-toned artful bodies. The energy and attention the models give to their bodies is reflected by the attention to technical detail Dragan attributes to each frame of film.
Throughout the past two and a half decades, Dragan’s gelatin silver photographic Black male nude prints have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries across the USA, London, Vienna, Madrid and other cities.
From “Best of Show” to “African American History month” first prize, he has been awarded multiple prizes. His works are represented in public, private collections and museums; most notably, the African American Museum of History and Culture at the Smithsonian.
JD Dragan was born in Hamilton, New Jersey in 1952. Philadelphia, PA is now home. Dragan earned honors in his continuing studies in photography at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.
