Anna Bloda is one of the most fearless, sexy, talented bad ass babes we know. Her photography is raw, energetic and is the type of work that pumps through the veins of NYC. Capturing everything from fashion to kids on the street she is constantly at the forefront of the underground, her images documenting the “now” of today. In front of the camera her blonde buxom appeal is hot as shit and will make even the straightest arrow bend with desire. We speak with brazen photographer Anna Bloda, a Polish-born photographer who found the inspiration she’d hankered for on the streets, subways and bedrooms of New York City.
What role do you play as both photographer and model?
When I take photographs I play the role of a virtuoso and master of ceremonies. When I am the subject, I reveal myself and explore my own self as an aesthetic object.
What makes an image worth capturing on camera?
A certain atmosphere, a focus. Above all, the model should possess a quality, an unspoken quality that translates into the visual scope, a tenderness that our minds can connect with at some point so that photographer and model are both ready for the creative voyage. Photography is a ceremony and the process of coming together.
As a photographer, what do you work to draw out of your subject?
Authenticity. I want the person I am interacting with to cast down their defenses, their ego, and to give me something personal, intimate, beyond the spotlight.
What is it about nudity that makes it perpetually interesting to us, intriguing, offensive?
Nudity is a form of exposure, not just in a physical sense, but a mental one, as the body holds all the information about our mental state. We have learned to hide the body with a suit of clothes and it makes us feel safe. The body also holds an intimacy that we usually reserve for our beloved. The body can be a medium for sin, but it can also represent innocence. The body is always controversial because it is something we try to hide. To show one’s body, on an exploratory level, requires courage and self-acceptance, regardless of its aesthetic condition. The power of the body isn’t about its beauty, but about its truth.
What is the line between good and bad taste when taking photographs?
Good taste reserves a degree of subtlety in how the model is treated and mutual consent in breaking boundaries. Wherever there is coercion, the photograph is longer longer a good one, the viewer can sense this. The story behind a picture must be authentic, otherwise the viewer can immediately sense deception. When looking at the photograph, instead of seeing a beautiful story, we see bad taste or a forced attempt at art without sincerity.
How has your art changed since you left Poland for the U.S.?
It has changed as a result of the mish-mash that has become of my life through smashing cultural norms, overcoming timidity, opening up to diversity and the everyday inspiration of the streets, of people, of happenings.
Were you not able to find the same sort of inspiration in Poland?
Unfortunately, I can’t work the same way in Poland as as Warsaw doesn’t offer the same kind of impetus as New York does. Besides, I’m always treated with a degree of skepticism in Poland, while in NY people appreciate my openness. Creating something here is easier, but also more fascinating given the masses of different stimuli.
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
My goal? The road is the goal, exploration, but also financial independence.
