MATI GELMAN
"Still Life"

Censorship has always existed. There have always been forces acting to suppress, silence, and stifle voices and ideas deemed dangerous, particularly in art.

Throughout history, human sexuality has been heavily censored, particularly by religion, as a means of control. Even in the internet picture language, emoji, there are no symbols that directly relate to human sexuality or sex organs, despite the fact that there are plenty of emoji relating to babies and pregnancy.

The lack of these symbols forced its users to repurpose preexisting emoji, mostly fruits and vegetables, to be able to discuss sex and sexuality in this new language, in the same way that artists have done for centuries; through the delicate, intricate, and suggestive usage of symbols.

This series highlights our collective pressure to depict and discuss these themes covertly; finding subversive ways to explore our eroticism while adhering to imposed guidelines.

Author
Mati Gelman is a commercial and fine art photographer. He earned a Bachelors in Science in Biochemistry from the Technion - The Israeli Institute of Technology in Haifa and a Masters in Science in Chemistry from The Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv. Mati turned to photography after moving to New York City. Mostly self-taught, he continued his education at The International Center for Photography (ICP) and Pratt Institute in New York City.

Mati's images explore sexuality, queerness, and human integration with nature, sparking a sense of unease. ​Originally a chemist manipulating matter and molecules, Mati now manipulates pictures and pixels with a focus on accentuating that exploration.

Website
www.matigelman.com

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