New York Nudes

photography by MARLENE MARINO   “I want to create very pretty feminine images of naked women. Maybe it’s a buffer against the ugly world we live in. But I find it alluring, and always have. I want to imbue them with an aura of nostalgia for a personal history, but not a desire for a happier time and place. My images are not about finding the right face, or about expressing a style or an attitude about life. For these nudes, I construct tableaux with an aura of nostalgia and modern elegance, as if they were shot by a lover. In these photographs, the models interpret early 20th century prostitutes who are comfortable in their skin. There is an attitude of leisurely sensuality. It’s silly to view them merely as objects for our gaze, even though they attract it, because they look at you as much, if not more, than you…