Photo Op

"In time, I defined my photographic genre to be portraiture, then black-and-white prints, then male nudes, then men of color. It's been a most satisfying evolution," says Trenton, N.J., native JD Dragan. For more than 30 years, Dragan has channeled his artistic voice by capturing the male physique and exposing its individuality and complexity, specifically through portraits of African-American men. "I was offended by the stereotypes I saw as commonplace," explains Dragan. "The white man as the subject of male nudes had been [done] ad nauseum. At that point, I simply told myself I could do a better job at photographing men of color." The winner of several awards, his striking images drew the attention of licensing and branding companies, and led to a collaborative effort to produce the 2006 calendar, Provocateur Black, which features 12 images of perfectly posed, glistening African-Americans. While the photos can be viewed as erotic and delightfully sexy, Dragan wants all who witness to dig a little deeper: "My hope is that my work can expose the vitality of all men, but most notably black men. I want my audience to feel the presence in an open way, without fear, freeing the viewer to appreciate that which simply makes a man beautiful."

JD Dragan calendar signing, Fri., Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m., Giovanni's Room, 345 S. 12th St., 215-923-2960.