Allan I. Teger

Allan-I-Teger-BodyscapesPeople 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.

Contact Allan: alteger@gmail.com

ONE PERSON SHOWS

2019

Center for Spiritual Care, Vero Beach, FL

Ann Jackson Gallery, Rosewell, GA

Divani Medical Center, Sebastian, FL

2018

Pennello Gallery, Cleveland, OH

2017

Gallery 14, Vero Beach, FL

Pennello Gallery, Cleveland, OH

Jackson Jung Gallery, Chicago, IL

2016

Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Pennello Gallery, Cleveland, OH

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

2011

Dabbert Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2009

Yours truly Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI

2000

Art and Soul Gallery, Woodstock, NY

1999

Forms Gallery, Delray, Fl

1996

Lake Avenue Gallery, Lake Worth, FL

1995

Hooloomooloo, Boston, MA

Gallery On the Square, Roanoke, VA

1994

James Beard Foundation, New York, Y.

1988

Susan Spiritus Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA

1986

Neo Deco, Chicago, IL

Gallery at Young & Rubican, NYC, NY

1985

Quinn-Frank Gallery, Denver, CO

1984

Jacqueline's, NYC, NY.

GROUP SHOWS

2022

Park Avenue Contemporary Art, Winter Park Fl  ( 2 person show)

2021

Cleveland Photo Fest, Cleveland, OH

bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

Gallery 114, Portland, O

Foosaner Museum of Art, Melbourne, FL

Pacer Center Gallery, Parker, CO

 

2020

Praxis Gallery, St. Paul, MN

Art Impact International. Washington, D.C.

Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL
 
2018    

Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL

Duncan Miller Gallery, “ Your daily photograph” online
     

2017      

Hammer and Nails Gallery, Miami FL     

Detroit  Dirty Show
                 
2016     

Spectrum, Miami, FL       

Art Undressed, Miami, FL

2015      

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

2005

Backus Gallery, Ft. Pierce, Fl

Bonnet House Museum, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

Dog and Pony Show Gallery, Naples, Fl

2004

Eisemann Center, Richardson, TX

Barnsite Gallery, Kewaunee, WI

Washington Gallery of Photography, Bethesda, MD.

Orange Country Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA

1999

Woodstock Artists Association, Woodstock, NY

Li Daniels Gallery, Rosendale, NY

1997

Liss Gallery. Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Swann Gallery, Detroit, MI

1995

Museum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, MA.

1994

Griffin for Photographic Art, Winchester, Ma.

Westport Art Center, Westport CT.

1991

Vermont State Craft Center, Middlebury,

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:

2022

Artistonish Magazine

2021

Xataka Photo (Spain)
Blauwe Wimple (Dutch maritime magazine)
Interview in Problographer

 

2020

Monovisions

2019

Hessischer Rundfunk (Germany) online gallery: www.hr.de

Separee (Germany)

2018

YourDailyPhotograph.com
Monthly Photography (South Korea)

2015

Eros Magazine,  Fine Art Nudes 

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. IIl

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

PhotoDelo  Magazine, Moscow Russia
Art Fairs International Magazine

2005

Uptown Show Poster, Minneapolis, MN

2004

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

2003

GQ (Italy and Spain)
FHM (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
Forbidden Art, Naomi, Schiffer, (book)
1995
BODYSCAPES™ Book, Shade Tree Press, 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, Y.
1991
Greeting cards, Pomegranate Publications
1989
Posters, Waterline Publications, Boston, MA
DECO Calendar,Landmark General, Novato, CA
 
1988
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

2021

Lakewood Arts Festival,  Best in Show

Member of the jury for the MonoVisions photography awards

2020

Bronze Star Award, Fine Art – Nude category, ND Photo Awards


2017
Award of Honor, Winter Park Autumn Art Festival
Cocoa Beach Art Festival, First in Photography
      

2016
Invited Address, Vero Beach Art Club, at the Vero Beach Museum
Award of Distinction, Melbourne Art Festival
 
2015
Eros Magazine, Fine Art Nudes, 3rd Place
Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, Judges Selection
Vero Beach, Under the Oaks, 3rd place Photography and Mixed Media
       
2014

Armonk Art Festival, First place, mixed media
Black Swamp Art Festival, Honorable Mention
 
 
2013
Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, Award of Merit
Soho Gallery for Digital Art,   Rural Impressions show, Honorable Mention
Boca Raton Fine Art Show,  Award of Excellence
East End Gallery H2O show, Honorable Mention 

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 Distinctio

2009

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

Boca Museum art festival, Merit Award

Cape Coral Art Festival, First in photograph

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

Medina 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
 
2004


Pinnacle Gold Award for Uptown Poster
Pigeon Key Art Festival, 2nd Place, Photography
Fine Art at the Village, Rochester Hills, MI, 2nd place, 2-D
Port Clinton Art Festival, Highland Park, Il. Merit Award
Medina Art Festival, Medina, OH Third Place, Non-traditional, 2-D
Melburne Art Festival, FL. 1st Place, 2-D
 
2003


Pigeon Key Art Festival, 2nd place, Photography
Old Saybrook Art Fesitval, Best in Show
Lac Ste.Claire Art Festival, 2nd Place, 2-D
Bayou City Arts Festival, Houston, Best in Photography

2002

Boston Mills Art Fesitval, 1st Place, Multiple Images
Armonk Art Festival, honorable mention
Festival of the Masters, Merit Award
Pigeon Key Art festival, 2nd Place, Photography

2001

Key Biscayne Art Festival, Merit Award
Atlanta Dogwood Festival, 3rd Place, Fine Art
Boston Mills Art Festival, 1st Place ,Multiple Images
SoNo Arts Celebration, Excellence in Photography

1999

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

1998

Stephens Art Festival, 1st Place

1998

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:
       
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
California State University Museum, Long Beach, CA
IBM, Atlanta, GA
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
The Sycamores, Altadena, CA
Emerald Square Mall, Attleboro, MA
Kinsey Institute collection
World Erotic Art Museum
   
EDUCATION:

B.A. Lafayette College, 1964
M.A. University of Delaware, 1966
Ph.D. State University of N.Y., Buffalo, 1969