Allan I. Teger

People often ask me where the idea for my Bodyscapes® originated. I have to confess that it didn't come from an interest in photographing nudes or from studio photography. Self taught as a photographer, I was originally trained as a social psychologist. Bodyscapes® evolved from my study of psychology.

During the 70's I was involved in teaching and academic counseling at the University of Pennsylvania, and had volunteered as a drug counselor at a free clinic in Philadelphia. I had begun to feel that traditional academic psychology wasn't really addressing the issues of the inner journey or the way in which we view the world.

Books on consciousness, mysticism, meditation, drug experiences and altered realities were just beginning to make it into popular culture. As a result, my interests began to evolve and my teaching became less traditional. I began teaching my students to meditate. We were reading the Tao Te Ching, The Bhagavad-Gita, books by Ram Dass, Carl Rogers. Castenada, Huxley, Watts and others. The concepts of altered realities, subjective reality, and mystical consciousness were becoming a part of my thinking.

I wanted to demonstrate in art the ideas that I was studying and teaching. The theme that occupied my thoughts was one of multiple realities. I had read many accounts of adventures in mystical consciousness and was certain that the most basic concept to understand and accept is that two realities can exist simultaneously. Both can be correct even though each is different. In 1975 I turned to photography as the medium to illustrate the coexistence of two realities.

I remember the moment that the idea for Bodyscapes® came to me. I was thinking that the shape and structure of the universe repeated itself at every level and suddenly I had the image in my mind of a skier going down a breast. This was it - the universe repeating its shapes - a body looking like a mountain. It was also an example of two realities coexisting. The picture could be seen as a landscape and it could also be seen as a body. Although they were different, both perceptions were right at the same time. I knew instantly that I had an entire series of images waiting to be captured on film.

Within a week or two I had my first model and began shooting. I was a complete newcomer in the world of art. I had never taken a course in photography, art, or art history, and had no idea that other people had ever thought of the similarity of bodies and landscapes. So I approached the project with naive energy, convinced that I was breaking new ground with each exposure.

I created these images by placing toys and miniatures on the body and shooting the picture as a single exposure. I knew it was possible to produce multiple exposure images such as photo montages, but felt that if it were to appear real to the viewer, it had to actually be real at some level...with the figure and the body together at the same time. Furthermore, I didn't want to resort to camera or darkroom tricks as that would make the work less credible. Now with the advent of digital photography, most people assume that any unusual photograph is a product of photoshop. However, I still work the way I began. I set the toys and the model and make a single exposure. I do not construct the image in photoshop.

Over the years I have discovered that art can be fun and serious at the same time. I have always believed that in the end an artist needs to communicate to the viewer, and involve them in the work to complete the experience. I feel that my art is complete when a viewer reacts to it. I have enjoyed creating Bodyscapes® and I enjoy sharing them with others and seeing their response.

It is always fun and interesting to see people discover for the first time, that the landscapes that they were looking at were really human bodies. Some people never see it until their friends point it out to them. Some look at the whole collection and then ask me what I mean by "Bodyscapes"®, or ask me which mountains I photographed. It's hard to keep a straight face as they puzzle over the photographs - knowing they are missing something and looking for clues to the answer.

My favorite story is about a couple with a young boy who appeared to be five years old. His parents asked him if he knew where the photographs had been taken. He answered with great certainty.'Yes", he said, 'California'! Some parents use the photographs as a teaching opportunity - pointing out the beauty of the naked body as a landscape. Several times I have seen young children explain to their older, less observant parents, the hidden truth of the images.

Some people hang these images in their homes and offices and their families and friends do not realize for years that the images contain bodies. Therapists tell me they could psychoanalyze me because of this work. I have had people tell me I am "sick" (usually with a smile!), and others tell me that I brighten their day and give them a new way of looking at the world. Some ask where I get the "little people", and others ask where I find a landscape that looks just like a body. Some are serious, some are joking - but, in the end, I find that people are generally fascinated by them.

My interest in photography began when I received my first camera at the age of 13. In both high school and college I was the photography editor of the newspaper and yearbook. I then put photography on hold while I pursued a career in psychology. I began the Bodyscapes in l975 and left academics in l981 to devote my full time to art photography.

Most of the Bodyscapes®  were shot with a medium format Mamiya RB67 and either Tri-X or T-Max film. I continued to shoot film and print in the darkroom until 2014. When my enlarger burned out and I was unable to replace parts, I  made the transition to digital capture and printing. I now shoot with a Nikon D300 and print with Epson 2880 and 7900 printers.

ONE PERSON SHOWS:

2015

Pennello Gallery, Cleveland, OH

Center for Spiritual Care, Vero Beach, FL

Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2014
Darby Gallery, Vero Beach, FL
Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL
Pennellos Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2013
Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
Pennellos Gallery, Cleveland, OH 

2011Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Yours truly Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI 

1999 
Forms Gallery, Delray, Fl

GROUP SHOWS:

ArtPrize Seven, Grand Rapids, MI 
Wheelhouse Gallery, “Cupid's Arrow”, Santa Fe, NM 
Lighthouse Art Center Museum, “Contempo”, juried by Elayne Mordes - WhiteSpace Gallery, Tequesta, FL 
Detroit Dirty Show 
Art Undressed, Miami, FL 

2014
Art Undressed, Miami, FL 
Jackson Junge Gallery, “Eat, drink, and be Merry”, Chicago, IL 
  
2013 
Soho Gallery for Digital Art, NY, NY 
Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL (two person show) 
1650 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 
Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR 
East End Arts, Riverhead, NY 
  
2012 
DC.MOCA, Washington, DC 
Rochester Erotic Arts Show 
Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas, NV 
Detroit Dirty Show 
  
2011 
Art Life Gallery, Jensen Beach, Fl. 
Dacia Gallery, “The Modern Landscape,” New York, NY 
Pennellos Gallery, Cleveland, OH (two person show) 
Serenity Gallery, Lancaster, Pa. 
Detroit Dirty Show Detroit, MI 
Seattle Erotic Art Show 
  
2010 
Detroit Dirty Show 
Seattle Erotic Art Show 
Rochester Erotic Art Festival 
  
2009 
Carmel Film Festival and Photography Exhibit, Carmel, CA 
Pennellos Gallery, Cleveland, OH 
Detroit Dirty Show, Detroit MI 
Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota Fl (two person show) 
CPop Gallery, Detroit, MI 
Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Seattle, WA 
Art Undressed, Miami FL (traveling to 5 cities in USA) 
  
2008 
Pennello Gallery, Cleveland, OH (two person show) 
Streetwise Gallery, Detroit, MI 
Detroit Dirty Show, Detroit, MI 
Hibiscus Center Traveling Exhibition, 
Vero Beach Fl 
Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show, Bloomington, IN 
James Schot Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 
Erotic Signature Traveling Exhibition, 
Miami , Montreal, Berlin 
New England International Erotic Art Show, Provincetown, MA 

2007 
Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL (two person show) 
Body Beautiful Show, Windsor, Ont, Canada 
James Schot Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 
Severence Gallery, Detroit MI. 
Orlando Nude Night, Orlando, FL

2006
Lake Wales Art Center, Lake Wales Fl

1995 
Museum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, MA.

1994 
Griffin Ctr. for Photographic Art, Winchester, Ma.
Westport Art Center, Westport CT.

1991 
Vermont State Craft Center, Middlebury, Vt.

1990 
Photographic Image Gallery, Portland, OR
Newton Art Center, Newton, MA

1989 
Alternatives 89, Siegfried Gallery, Athens, OH

1988 
Jannes Art Gallery, Chicago, IL
Douglas Albert Gallery, State College, PA

1987 
Susan Spiritus Gallery, Newport Beach, CA

1986 
Quinn-Frank Gallery, Denver, CO

1985 
Mills Gallery, Boston, MA
Quinn-Frank Gallery, Denver, CO

1983 
PhotoShow Intl.Gallery, touring United States
Mills Gallery, Boston, MA
Atelier 564, Newton, MA

1981 
Mazur-Mazur Gallery, Deerfield, IL
Sylvia Ullman's Crafts Gallery, Cleveland, OH

1980 
PhotoShow Intl. Gallery, touring United States

1979 
Mobilia, Cambridge, MA
PhotoShow Intl. Gallery, touring United States

1978 
Mobilia, Cambridge, MA 
Wadsworth Gallery, Devon, PA

PUBLICATIONS:

2015

Bare Your Beauty, Bodyscapes Book By Allan Teger, published by Lunchbox Salon
Bikinis and Martinis, Thailand 
 

2014

Joongang Daily (South Korea)

 
2013 

Techmac (China) 
Zupi Art Magazine (Brazil) 
Advanced Images (Kuala Lumpur) 
Purple Clover (web magazine) 


2012

Bodyscape book, Schiffer Books 
20 Minutos (Spanish newspaper and webpage) 
Huffington Post.Com 
MSNBC. Com

 

2011

Playboy (Russian edition) 
Focus Extra (Italy) 
Cupido Magazine (Norway) 
The Culture of Transbaikalia (Siberia) 
Visions of Erotica: A Midwest Perspective (book) 
Environmental Grafitti (web magazine) 
The Sun (London) 
The Metro (London) 
Scottish Dailey Record (Scotland) 
LeMagdarqroom (France) web 
DailyMailOnline (England) web
 

2009

Sunshine Artists (cover story) 
Posters, GBeye, UK 
Echo of the Planet, Moscow, Russia 
World’s greatest Erotic Art of Today, vol. III 
2008 
The Worlds Greatest Erotic Art of Today, vol.II 
Digital Photography Magazine UK 
Digital Photography Magazine Spain (cover story)

2007

Macro Photography, Kamps, H.J., Wiley (book) 
Times of the Island, Sanibel, Fl (cover story) 
American Social Psychology Quarterly (cover story) 
Twin Cities Luxury and Fashion, Minn. MN

2006

2005

Uptown Show Poster, Minneapolis, MN

2004

FHM (Hungary and Indonesia)
Deco Posters , Posters International, Toronto Canada

2003

GQ (Italy and Spain)
FHM (U.K. and Singapore)

2002 

Esquire Magazine

2001

Wisconsin Review 
AutoForum , Germany
Dreamscape Posters, Posters International, Toronto Canada 

2000

TidensMind, Germany 
People Magazine, Australia 
Clockwork Magazine, Germany

1999

Tomorrow Magazine, Germany

1998

1995

BODYSCAPES™ Book, Shade Tree Press, Ft. Meyers, FL

1994

Cover photo of Soc. of Commerical Arch. magazine
CD record album cover, Jay Anderson's "Local Color"

1992

DINER Calendar, Pomegranate Publications

1992

Posters, Art Resources, Brewster, N.Y.

1991

Greeting cards, Pomegranate Publications

1989 

Posters, Waterline Publications, Boston, MA
DECO Calendar,Landmark General, Novato, CA

BODYSCAPES™ Poster, Capital Concepts Publishing, VA

1982 Playboy Magazine

1981 Northern Ohio Live Magazine

1978 Boston Magazine

1977 National Shorthand Reporter, Cover photo

1976 National Lampoon Magazine

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

2015
Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, Judges Selection
Vero Beach, Under the Oaks, 3rd place Photography and Mixed Media

2014

2012

Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, Judges Selection

Space Coast Art Festival, Merit Award

Virginia Highlands Art Festival, First Place, Photography

Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Second Place, Photography

Bonita Springs Art Festival, Award of Distinction

Sin City Gallery, Las Vegas, Best of Show

2011

Great Gulfcoast Art Festival Judges Award

2010

Vero Beach Under the Oaks Art Festival, First Place, Photography

Magic City Art Festival, Birmingham, AL, Merit award

Seattle Erotic Art Show, First Place, Audience Choice National Award

Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, Award of Distinction

2009

Seattle Erotic Art Show, First Place, Audience Choice, National Award

Boca Museum art festival, Merit Award

Cape Coral Art Festival, First in photography

2008

Pigeon key art festival, First in photography

Space Coast art festival, Merit Award

2007

Melbourne Masters Show, Best in Show

Arts, Beats, and Eats, Award of Excellence

Pigeon Key Art Festival, First in Photography

Celebration Art Festival, Award of Merit

2006

Space Coast Art Festival, Cocoa Beach Fl, 3rd Place, Photography
Media OH Arts Festival - Best in Show
Celebration FL Arts Festival - Best in Show
Ft. Myers Art Fest, 1st place, 2-dimensional
Pigeon Key Art Festival, 1st place, Photography
Vero Beach Art Club, 1st place, photography 

2005 
Vero Beach Art Club, 3rd place photography
Pigeon Key Art Festival, 2nd place, Photography
Bonita Springs Art Festival, Award of Distinction 

2002 
Pigeon Key Art Festival, 2nd Place, Photography

1999

Poster Artist, Gasparilla Art Festival
Woodstock Artists Association, Honorable Mention 
Key Biscayne Art Festival, Merit Award
Televised interview on German television

1998

St. Stephens Art Festival, 1st Place
Key Biscayne Art festival, 1st Prize, Photography 

1997 

Shadyside Arts Fesitval, Jurors Award

1995 

Boca Fiesta Art Festival, First Place

1993 

Miami Beach Festival of Art 1st Prize, Photography

1992 

Armonk Art Festival 1st Prize, Photography
Coconut Grove Art Festival, 2nd Prize, Photography

1990 

Beaux Arts Festival, Best in Photography
Society of Commercial Archeology Photo Contest, Runner up.

1989

Images 89, Award of Commendation
Beaux Arts Festival, Award of Distinction 
Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair, Award of Distiniction

1988 
Miami Beach Art Festival, 2nd Prize, Photography

1986 
Coconut Grove Art Festival, 2nd Prize, Photography
Nationally televised interview: Playboy Video Network

1985 
Coconut Grove Art Festival, 1st Prize, Photography

1984 
Invited Address: New York Art Directors Club, NYC, NY

1978 
Printing Institute of America, Award Certificate

COLLECTIONS & INSTALLATIONS:

MEMBERSHIPS:

National Association of Independent Artists

Who’s Who in America

Vero Beach Art Club

Strathmore’s Who’s Who

EDUCATION: