Touching Strangers: A Creepily
Wonderful Concept
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| TouchingStrangers 34-490x620 by Richard Renaldi (Click for viewing the full set) |
“Richard Renaldi gets two or more strangers on the street and asks them to pose for a photograph while touching each other. It’s fascinating to see how some people are visibly uncomfortable, while others look completely at ease – like old friends, or lovers. Check out his photos…” by Brad Horn NPR
"Jesus Came And Touched Them..."
He touched them for many different reasons, but the gospels are clear that Jesus' example includes touching other people, and not just our fellow disciples. Then he commanded us "to do as I have done." A command Peter again presents to Christians again in one of his epistles.
The American adverse response to touching, especially by men, is unprecedented in the rest of the world. According to scripture it is disobedience to your saviour. Remember American culture never trumps Christ. Christ always trumps cultural.
Brad Horn In His Article About Renaldi and "Touching Strangers" States:
For the complete article click here.
Holding the hand of a stranger is a creepy kind of wonderful. And asking strangers to touch each other might only seem creepy — but it has produced an awkwardly wonderful series by fine art photographer Richard Renaldi. "Touching Strangers," as he calls it, explores the physical buffer we use to feel comfortable around people we don't know — or in this case, the lack of a buffer.
"Generally when you ask two people to touch, they're going to do one of two things," the New York City-based artist explains. "They're either going to hold hands or put their arms around each other. But I think there can be much more interesting ways to touch each other."
So Renaldi traipses around New York or wherever he finds himself — Texas, Illinois, California, Florida — with his 8x10 view camera (a monster of an object — think Ansel Adams under a black cloth), looking for people who will put their hands on one another. How that happens, exactly, is different each time...
But this series isn't rooted in an art-school fascination with the obtuse — it's rooted in Renaldi's lamentation over one specific thing: our separation.
"Touching Strangers" drew inspiration from another project — a book called "Dear Friends, American Photographs Of Men Together From 1840-1918." He noticed not only how affectionate the men seemed, but also how they appeared completely relaxed about it.
"And when you look at those pictures you realize, 'Oh my goodness — This isn't what men do now,' " he says. "If you go to another country, you see men holding hands. I think they used to do that in America until something changed here..."
"Something I get a lot of, is people [wondering], 'What would I have done if I was asked? Would I have touched that person?' And I think that's really kind of cool."
Since his dedication to the project seems matched only by his wanderlust, you may want to come up with an answer to that question yourself. Indeed, Renaldi may soon be approaching a stranger near you. The result will be ... touching.
