Ocean MOrisset 211
Nationality american
Main working location Brooklyn,
new York
Photographic method Film and digital
Ocean Morisset is a self-taught
photographer who has made the
transition from a career in the medical
profession, having worked for some
years as a medical technician in HiV/
aiDs. He spent more than three years
working mainly in the field of journalism
and documentary photography before
starting to explore the male nude as a
subject in 2004.
http://www.musecube.com/nycphotographer
ocean morisset
My desire to photograph black male nudes was born out of a need
to counter the exploitative images of the black male as featured in
pornography. My intention is to offer a point of view that highlights black
men’s sensuality, and even their vulnerability. Historically, black men have
been viewed as a threat, and their sexuality posed an even greater threat,
at the same time eliciting much curiosity and desire on the part of others.
i aim to show the black male nude as a work of art, neither denying his
physical assets, nor flaunting them. i prefer to use amateur models with
a sense of adventure,
because they can possess
a raw talent and a desire to
be discovered, and will
often work harder than
professional models to get
the right shot. My work is inspired by natural light and by models who have
a zest for creativity, and my creative process is very organic in that i have
an open mind, and the ideas arise and flow as i shoot. i photograph from
an emotional place and i want that to be reflected in my images.
My style is a combination of the classical, sensual, romantic, and
erotic. i use both digital cameras and 35mm and medium-format film
cameras, frequently working with a combination to maximize my choices.
i prefer digital cameras for my male nude photography, though, because
of the immediacy that the medium provides. i like environmental interiors
and outdoor locations, nearly always relying on natural light to enhance the
mood of the photograph. emotions are everything in my work. they can
be the model’s emotions as conveyed in the photograph, or the emotions
that the photograph evokes within the viewer. Working with natural light
makes me feel like nature had a hand in creating the photograph, and
gives me a sense of the intricacies of life. the shots are framed in the
camera, and i always aim for correct exposure and contrast, so that in the
end there isn’t a need for any postproduction process apart from editing.
i liken my process to that of a painter who doesn’t know what the
finished painting will look like—each brushstroke is critical to the final
image. My photographs are my brushstrokes. Who knows what the
finished painting will look like...?
