Lake Como by Katty Hoover

Issue 76

Lake Como is a collection of images named for the nudist community in central Florida, the site at which this work is being made. In rural Florida, like most of the south, the nude body remains taboo. And yet Pasco County, where Lake Como is situated, is home to the largest concentration of nudist sites in the U.S.

Fenced from public view, Como embodies the conflicting human desires for privacy and exhibitionism. The resort is an active but hidden subculture. Daily life remains prosaic, but often provocative.

These portraits consider subjects in their natural and built environments, which often reference the glamorous, Italian destination of the same name. Lawns are immaculately manicured, and docks hug the waters edge. Roman and Greek statues are frequent as pink flamingos. The wilderness is embraced and tamed.

My inspiration is rooted in childhood memories of the area, where lush greenery veils any undeveloped land. Warm lakes are plentiful, the light is prismatic, and the heat is dense and salty. Scaled creatures linger just beyond sight.

Katty Hoover lives and works in Reno, NV.
To view more of Katty's work, please visit her website.