I photograph the natural human form with my subjects posing nude. I shoot black-and-white medium format film to get a great range of tones, from stark white to pitch black; and the larger 120mm negative allows my images to print at a larger size. Photographing naked bodies in nature is an amalgamation that has been seen throughout photography as an artistic and documentary medium since its inception in the mid 19th century. I challenge this tradition by disconnecting the subject and the viewer in an effort to break the stereotypical male gaze. In most instances, for example, the face is turned away or hidden from the onlooker, avoiding its gaze entirely. Clothes can be distracting and this is a main reason I photograph the nude body; there is nothing to hide behind, yet the subject’s guard always comes down when their face is covered- there are no more inhibitions. Rather than portraying women in a way men find appealing or attractive, I pose the subject in awkward positions, sometimes using grotesque props, as a means of pushing against the former notion of the male gaze. When photographing the naked body with creepy masks the viewer questions the world and hopefully their own sanity.
Elisabeth Ciaccio is an artist born and raised in the South, specifically the mountains of Western North Carolina in Asheville. Elisabeth found photography as a creative outlet at the age of 17 when she enrolled in a photography appreciation course at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Following high school she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a concentration in photography. During those years Ciaccio was heavily influenced by other women artists, such as: Diane Arbus, Francesca Woodman, and Ana Mendieta. In the Spring of 2017 she left North Carolina to move to New York City. Ciaccio’s early work was driven largely by her surroundings of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the accessible natural beauty of the region. Since moving to New York, however, she found the lack of natural landscapes forced a shift in her methodology; Ciaccio primarily photographs her subjects in a studio environment, one that is readily available. Although, through traveling and resourcefulness, Elisabeth has been able to utilize the outside world in her recent work. Elisabeth primarily uses a Yashica D, but also utilizes a Holga 120N and a Nikon FA.
2011-2014 Bachelor of Arts in Photography, UNC-Asheville
2009-2010 Art, Asheville-Buncombe Technical College
Elisabeth Ciaccio, “The Mask,” PLATEFORM Magazine, access date: December 11, 2017 plateformag.com/magazine/article/numero-106
2014 “Implicit | Explicit: The Line Between Art and Porn,” Pink Dog Studios, Asheville, NC
2021 “October Group Art Show,” Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO, Juror: David Jones
2021 “Dangerous Lullabies VII National Exhibition,” The Dole, Crystal Lake, IL, Juror: J + K Isacson Arts
2020 “SHIM/Darkroom: Summer 2020 Member Showcase,” SHIM Art Network, Juror: Lucia Rollow
2020 “SHIM/Darkroom: Spring 2020 Member Showcase,” SHIM Art Network, Juror: Lucia Rollow
2019 “SHIM/Darkroom: Launch Exhibition,” SHIM Art Network, Juror: Lucia Rollow
2019 “Grand Salon Show,” Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn NY, Juror: Shawn James
2018 “Bushwick Open Studios,” Space 776, Brooklyn NY
2018 “Fun House,” Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie NY, Jurors: Danijela Purssey and Istvan Banyai
2018 “LORE: Exploring Fear,” Specto Art Space, Bridgewater, VA Juror: Jeremiah Morris
2018 “Mnemonic,” H. Gallery, Ventura, CA Juror: Michael Miner
2018 “Krappy Kamera,” SoHo Photo Gallery, Manhattan, NY Juror: Sandra Carrion
2018 “Grand Salon Show,” The Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn, NY Juror: Shawn James
2017 “Color: Photography Now,” Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR Juror: Todd Johnson, artist
2017 “Somerville Toy Camera Festival,” Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
2017 “Photo Shoot: 2017,” Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR Juror: Todd Johnson, artist
2017 “Portraiture: Looking at Photography,” Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR Juror: Annick Sjobakken, artist
2017 “Brooklyn Open Studios,” Space 776, Brooklyn, NY
2015 “PBR Art Show Case,” Mothlight Gallery, Asheville, NC
2014 “47th Annual Juried Student Exhibition,” UNCA, Asheville, NC Juror: Ron Fondaw, artist.
2013 “46th Annual Juried Student Exhibition”, UNCA, Asheville, NC Juror: John Oles, artist
2010 “6th Annual Student Art Show”, AB-Tech Community College, Asheville, NC
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