If I were asked what was my inspiration to become an artist, my answer would depend on the circumstances since it would perhaps shock the questioner. When I was young, I had the rare privilege of seeing a great number of classic and b-grade films on local television before the days when video would take them from the small screen. There are many movies of horror or suspense that have employed the setting of a studio or a museum with fiends or monsters within, but the field narrows considerably when looking at films where the victims themselves become macabre works of art. Films like House of Wax, A Bucket of Blood, and Peeping Tom peaked my curiosity and fascination with the human form and the artistic impulse in general.
From there, I have combined my training in traditional and modern media to create unique visions. I'm drawn to the neo-Gothic genre, blending the figure with stylized & monumental architecture, a "look" favored by the new professional model who wants an "edgy" glamour/fetish portfolio variation. My wardrobe includes items from Cryoflesh, Hot Topic, Syren & accessories including exotic jewelry & fantastic blades. This also lends itself to my increasing fascination with "cosplay," being one of the lucky few who grew up watching alot of old school anime and being influenced by the likes of H.R. Giger and BROM.
I experiment with various recipes of beauty clay, liquid latex, and fabric to create unearthly textures or ones that simulate stone or metal to create the illusion of the figure as sculpture. You can see examples of this at my other MM page
http://www.modelmayhem.com/pygmalion
To a different end, I also employ the art of life-like bodycasting using modern materials (plaster bandages, alginate, latex) has generated wildly positive feedback from models who've been cast & art collectors. It is very much photography in three dimensions. Private commissions for bodycasting are welcome and prices start at $300.
I have much more extensive work on display at One Model Place (
http://www.onemodelplace.com/ratravarman ) and at my DeviantArt.com account listed above. Please check them out as my portfolio is very limited here.
I am currently represented by Wicked Talent. I can be contacted here or on AIM (Chayavant), Yahoo (deep_nerd), or MSN Messenger (ratra@ratra.com).
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18 U.S.C. 2257A Record-Keeping Compliance StatementHonorable Mention - 2005 UK Spider Awards for Black and White Photography, Fashion category.
Event Photographer - Volgothic Sundays, Angels Rock Bar, Baltimore, MD
