Bruce of LA by Bellas photo of Beatrics 7x10 B&W 68

1940’s Bruce of LA naked heartland series

This is an original Bruce of LA image that was printed in the 90's for the purpose of publishing a book The Naked Heartland (see photo).

The photos in this series deal with Bruce's early efforts at photographing the male nude, miles removed from his signature pieces of oiled-and-pumped bodybuilders in the 1950s and 1960s, and miles away from California. There is a definite charm to these images, a naiveté that is preferable in many ways to the later works. Most of them feature ordinary men in humble, prosaic settings that evoke the works of Walker Evans and other itinerant photographers of middle America in the 1940s.

The male nudes planted in these settings hint at a subtle truth about men of the time and about American life generally. What's more they pose intriguing questions about the circumstances behind the images. One is tempted to piece together narratives, for in an age before Elvis and Rock in which male bodies were covered most of the time, one can't help but wonder how it was possible for Bruce to capture so many men in such uncompromising and revealing poses?

Bruce Bellas (1909-1974) pioneered the visual images of the male physique with his photography.  The artistry of his work created the mold for many famous photographers of today.  Better known under the pseudonym Bruce of LA, he produced many wonderful treasures which may be found in publications throughout the world.  His work was recognized in New York at the Wessel O’connor and Jan Kessner galleries. 

Clearly his impact revolutionized the appreciation of the male physique.

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