The Nu Project: Real People, Real Bodies

If the ecclesiastical choral soundtrack and the word "project" in the title (which always confers an extra measure of class onto any collection of art nudes) isn't enough to tip you off that Minneapolis photographer Matt Blum's website isn't going to be just another cheesecake extravaganza, you'll have no doubts after you see the mountain of wizened, striated flesh that greets you once you click past the splash page. Blum's focus here is on the naked human female body in all its forms—young and old, big and small—and to that end his "celebration of authentic beauty" features real models "most of whom had no modeling experience whatsoever". The result is a lovely exhibition that reminds us that beauty isn't limited to the glossy, silicone-enhanced landscape you'll find in the work of many of his contemporaries—and even if that soundtrack gives the whole production the air of a slightly pretentious Dove commercial, you can't help but be impressed by the artist's devotion to his craft and the respect he has for his models. As one of them says, "If everyone had the chance to get some fine art shots taken, maybe we'd all be a little happier with ourselves." We can only hope.

· The Nu Project: Real People, Real Bodies (thenuproject.com, via Body Collector)

Previously: Leonard Nimoy's Nude Mission, "Eloquent Nude": Edward Weston and Charis Wilson, Nude Figures by Sita Mae Edwards, Portraits by Todd Hido, John Peri's Overabundant Nudes, Gorgui Photo: French, Nude, Etc., Realplump