South American Nudes (Spanish: Desnudos Sudamericanos) by Marcos Zimmermann explores the complexities and nuances of male identity across South America. Created between 2002 and 2009, the project marks Zimmermann's first significant departure from his previous work focused on Argentinian landscapes and identities. Spanning seven countries—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay—the series documents men in their everyday environments, presenting candid portraits that reveal intimate insights into their lives and contexts.
Set against the backdrop of a continent marked by historical and social turbulence, Zimmermann sought to capture the shared yet diverse identity of South American men. He explicitly aimed to challenge prevailing artistic conventions, intentionally avoiding idealized or eroticized portrayals common in traditional representations of the male nude. Instead, Zimmermann's images provide a direct and unembellished depiction, a deliberate approach described by the artist as "double crudeness", referencing the literal exposure of nudity alongside the harsh realities of the subjects' surroundings. The project’s broader inquiry sought to identify a masculine identity that transcends nation, class, race, and sexuality, gesturing toward a shared sense of South American manhood.
The photographs in South American Nudes are characterized by their stark black-and-white aesthetics, executed through gelatin silver prints. Zimmermann employs compositions that integrate the subjects deeply within their immediate environments, often static and meticulously posed to reflect their genuine circumstances. Natural light emphasizes contrasts and textures, creating images that resonate with raw authenticity. The project's overall tone is gritty and introspective, aiming not merely to document but to reveal underlying truths about identity, history, and daily existence.
Zimmermann’s technical approach, deeply rooted in traditional analog photography, contributes significantly to the project's emotional depth. The monochrome imagery enhances the sense of documentary realism and directs viewers' attention to forms and details otherwise lost in color photography.
Exhibited widely after its debut at the Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires (2009), South American Nudes toured to venues including Couturier Gallery, Los Angeles (2010) and hpgrp Gallery, New York (2011), and was consolidated in a bilingual monograph by Ediciones Larivière (2009); prints from the series and related work are held in major collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires), with Zimmermann’s broader career recognition including the Konex Prize (2012).
