Female nude III

Female nude III

Female nude I, II, and III (1980) belong to a series of seven colour Polaroid photographs by Janet Bayly. As the title suggests, each depicts a woman’s body, and from the collarbone to the waist. Each progression offers a minor adjustment to her pose: in one, a hand frames her breast; in another, that hand cradles a posy of red tulips close to the heart. There is a sense of immediacy afforded by the medium of instant photography, which is countered by the careful composition evident in the conscious inclusion of a prop—that symbolises love, lust and courting—the directness of the posture, and the anonymity of the cropping. The blue tint—a by-product of developing photographs in the cold—is warmed by the implied sensation of touch. Subtle blurring evokes the movement of fingertips on the skin, and as her wrists recede into the darkness, the arms could easily be taken for those of a lover.

In an artist statement, Bayly stated she treats the camera as a tool to “create personal metaphors for a personal reality.” Though Bayly has been her own subject in other works, the sitter's identity in the Female Nude series remains unclear. The truncated torso stands in for a whole figure, which could only be experienced through a personal encounter. The Polaroid’s size allows it to fit comfortably in the palm of a hand, evoking an association with portrait miniatures, which could be carried or worn close to the heart as a token of love, loyalty or memorial. Such images can elicit powerful memories and emotions, and hold the promise of future encounters. In their anonymity, we can overlay our own readings, memories and fantasies onto these profoundly intimate yet depersonalised icons.

— Maya Love, 2022