"MY GOOD FRIEND JAY IS A CREATIVE SOUL WHO LIKES TO BARE IT ALL BEFORE THE CAMERA, AT LEAST MANY OF HIS MODELS BARE IT ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRIBLY COMFORTABLE WITH HIM AND HIS VISION, AND THE RESULTS ARE CLEARLY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF CLARITY, LIGHT, SENSUALITY, AND EVOCATIVE EMOTION. I KNOW WHEN I SEE AN IMAGE CREATED BY JAY THAT IT WILL BE A VISUAL EMBODIMENT MEANT TO TAKE THE VIEWER’S EYES ON A JOURNEY OF PERSONAL ARTISTRY. KEEP AN EYE ON JAY; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU LACKING INSPIRATION." – Ethan James, photographer.
For many photography is a means to escape reality or to create a conceptual world of beauty and sensations, shaped by their own dreams, thoughts and emotions. It is interesting to realize many of these artist were born and brought up in small towns and villages, with nothing more to do then to escape in that self-created world of dreams and images. Jay A. Rickard is no exception to this.
Jay A. Rickard, the man behind Lightweaver, was born in a small Indiana town with conservative values and, as mentioned before, not much to do but to escape in his own imagination. Now you need to possess a certain level of creativity and fantasy to be able to create such a virtual experience for yourself, and if you do it is only logical that at one time this creativity will reveal itself to the surface. For Jay it happened when he was in the Junior year of his high school, when his artistic gift drove him to pick up a camera for the first time. And we should be grateful it came to that.
Richard Avedon once said: I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible. This is a quote that Jay A. Rickard lives by. For 20 years now he has been handling the camera, starting with portraiture and formal training by master photographers. And it is clear that his natural talent has evolved with the refined techniques he has mastered himself over the years, finally enabling himself to visualize that imaginary world that has been his escape for so long. By always questioning the status quo, pushing the boundaries and always asking ‘why?’ and ‘what for?’, Jay creates thought provoking and beautiful images of the male form in unique and varying ways.
Asked about his inspiration, Jay told us: "The primal beauty of the male form. Doing my part to reverse the hypocrisy behind elevating the female form to artistic beauty and hiding the male form behind the guise of perversion." And that is exactly hat you can expect when visiting his Lightweaver website. It is a tapestry of natural guys in almost supernatural environments, beautifully crafted moments of light and dark and environmental portraits which contrast with the subjects but somehow create a seamless blend. Jay A. Rickard is now 34 years old and still lives in Indiana. –B-
Models from top to bottom, left to right: Matt D | Chad and Mike | JD and Pierce | Stan and Nick | JD and Pierce | Sean | Sean | Matt D | Eddie | 'Reconciled' | Rashid | John | Jeremy | Jacob | John.
JAY A. RICKARD | BEAUTIFUL
Love this work. Love some of the religious images too. The one with the hooded man holding the guy is actually a recreation of a print with Christ holding up a man in trouble. Love the gay take on that. Truly inspiring
Posted by: Tom | January 28, 2009 at 05:26 PM
Thank you so much for such a flattering write up. I truly appreciate your support of my work. I would love to hear from any of you who enjoy the images I've created. Feel free to contact me and say hello.
Posted by: Jay A. Rickard | January 30, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Great article and a great showcase for a fantastic photographer and artistic visionary!
Posted by: Sean | January 31, 2009 at 10:55 PM