Sex. Form. Shadow and Light.

Maybe Judas was the better man
and Mary made a virgin just to save face.
-The Way | Meshell Ndegeocello

We met at a bar in lower Wicker Park named, Corosh. It was one of the coolest hangs in the city.
This was years ago, before gentrification chased all of the Artists away.

She was wearing a beautiful red velvet dress, low cut, the very top of her tattoo was visible. As she passed, I maybe said something like “that’s a great tat.” She replied with a “thank you,” then proceeded to pull the top of her dress down a bit more, so I could see the entire piece. This was unexpected. I told her that I’d love to photograph it one day and she gave me her number… which I promptly misplaced. About two years later, I found a folded napkin in an old camera bag. A name I didn’t immediately recognize and a phone number. Beneath the phone number was the word “tattoo.”

I sent a text. She texted back.
A few weeks later, we were making photographs.

I’ve never photographed a professional model for my personal work. I’ve always preferred the giddy, perhaps, slightly nervous “amateur.” My muse is the everyday soul who has no idea what to expect, but trusts me. The facial expressions, and the emotions I capture are honest.
Unscripted.
A function of timing within a safe space.
For me, there are few things better.

I’ve stared at this photograph a hundred times.
I have yet to acquire the language
that would allow me to tell the tale being told
by fingers and hands
upon her chest.