Rasmus Mogensen

RASMUS MOGENSEN
"Perfectly Natural"

October 22 through December 5, 2009
Reception for the Artist, Thursday, October 22, 7 - 9 p.m.

The Fahey/Klein Gallery is pleased to present "Perfectly Natural", current work from European based photographer Rasmus Mogensen. In his first exhibition in the United States, this show is comprised of eleven oversized Archival Pigment photographs measuring nearly 6 feet high.

These murals are part-real and part-fantasy created by the photographer, in which he has produced overtly idealized female bodies. Mogensen's female figures are partially made in the spirit of Italian comic book artist Milo Manara. Depicting blatantly sexualized women in strong female roles is a consistent theme in Manara's erotic graphic novels.

Mogensen has initially photographed his models from a shifted perspective, aiming his camera from low, up at the women, in turn giving them an undeniable sense of strength and power. He then further fashioned his strong females by digitally manipulating their forms. One of his objectives is to deliberately reflect the surreal or unnatural physical ideals of our contemporary era by incorporating the use of image manipulation. The viewer is confronted with these "ideal" women who look "perfectly natural" but in reality are strangely too perfect.

Mogensen's comments on his view in creating perfection using images, "Photography is for me a search for harmonious shape and composition. What keeps me going is the fact that a creative career is a never-ending evolution in the search for a perfection that does not exist. I love the fact that there is always something you can become better at in the process."

Rasmus Mogensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1974. He began his photography career working as a photo assistant both in Copenhagen and New York. His first independent exhibition, at age 17, was at the Gallery Photografica in Copenhagen.

He has worked with German, Australian and Russian Vogue, Citizen K, Allegra, French Elle, Jalouse, L'Officiel, Dansk, Vs Magazine, Zink, French Marie Claire, The Sunday Times Magazine, ES Magazine, Wallpaper, Tatler, Australian Harper's Bazaar etc. He has photographed for numerous worldwide advertising campaigns for clients including Wolford, Diesel, Shiseido, Lancel, Elizabeth Arden, L'Oréal, Kérastase, Hanro, Parfums Rochas, De Grisogono, InWear, Pieces, Sand, Vero Moda, Escada and Swarovski.

Rasmus Mogensen currently lives and works in Paris and New York