Untitled (from the series Orthodox Eros), 2009, photographs

In this series of photographs, the artist attempts to capture orthodox Jewish boys in a new and unfamiliar manner, which is antithetical to their stereotypical representation. Holterman herself grew up in the orthodox world, which views the human body as a temple. Her images attempt to divest these boys of their “otherness” and to reveal a unique quality that is unfamiliar to secular viewers: an experienceof sanctity that is at once physical and spiritual. At the same time, the aesthetic quality of these photographs bespeaks the influence of biblical stories as represented throughout the history of art.