Marble Woman

Johanne M. Pelletier is an archivist and Ph.D. candidate in the history
and philosophy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Yuri Dojc fled Czechoslovakia for Canada after the Russian invasion in
1968. He has since achieved a reputation in North America, primarily as
a commercial photographer. His more recent work has been devoted to
black-and-white nude studies. This collection of black-and-white images
of women reflects, according to Lorraine Monk’s preface, “a sensuous
appreciation of the subtle tones and texture of female flesh.”

Sensual composition and detail are indeed evident in these images,
which are combined with the playful influences of Man Ray or
Magritte—there are odd combinations of objects and women, such as a
plaster cherub suspended over a woman’s breasts in soft focus. Books,
cellos, fabric, a miniature Statue of Liberty, and a dog alternately
share the frame with Dojc’s female subjects. Despite these attempts at
a lighthearted sensuality in soft focus, the images weigh heavily in
favor of commercial images. Like window mannequins, the women appear
stark and lifeless, like “marble” commercial models amid cleverly
designed lighting. This is contemporary commercial photography at its
best, or worst, depending on your affinity for the genre.