Gallery: Chantelle A ‘Gates’
Chantelle A ‘Gates‘ by Luca Helios
An imposing wrought iron portal provides this Met Art gallery with both its title and location. Outside the gates we see what appears to be a lightly traveled country road and a lush green landscape. The gate itself is framed with climbing vines. In the shaded area inside the gates we find Chantelle A. And it is not at all difficult to find her — the pink and white bikini she is wearing stands in strong contrast to the setting, and the model’s long-haired, long-limbed beauty attracts the eye with a powerful magnetism.
The costume – which is completed with a bulky necklace, a pair of black stilettos, and a sheer pink shawl with odd, worm-like embellishments – doesn’t seem completely (or even partially) in place here. Has Chantelle A. wandered onto the grounds of a country estate in search of a pool party? But, while the logic of the series may be elusive, the photos themselves are readily accessible.
I am glad when Chantelle dispenses with the scarf, it adds little to the set, and functions best as a bit of ground cover for the model to spread out on later in the series. Indeed, images numbered 104 and 105, in which Chantelle reclines on the scarf, are two of this gallery’s finest images.
I have one slight quibble with “Gates.” Luca Helios uses the rigid vertical and horizontal bars of the gate as a visual element in many shots, and they contrast nicely with the model’s lithe curves (see #036 or #052). But he also tilts the camera in many shots. I love Chantelle’s genuine smile and stance in #035, but the tilted composition doesn’t make aesthetic sense to me. I do quite like #061, however, and here the tilt seems to work well to balance out the model’s striking, backward arch.
Technical points aside, when Chantelle A. drops her professional pout in favor of a sincere smile – as she does in #026 or #050 – I cannot find fault with this gorgeous keeper of the “Gates.”
Preview Gallery: Chantelle A ‘Gates‘.
Art Nude Profile: Chantelle A.
Art Nude Models: Met Art information.
