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Is this the dream life? Meet the man who takes photos of himself running naked with horses in Iceland

Back in 2011, artist Nick Turner’s began a love affair with Iceland. He started travelling there regularly as a source of inspiration for his creative pursuits (which include drawing and painting and photography) and immediately fell in love with the country’s rugged landscape and sparse scenery. But it wasn’t only the bare country that continued to draw him there, it was the wildlife that populated it – in particular, the horses.

nick turner

Is this the dream life? Meet the man who takes photos of himself running naked with horses in Iceland, Nick Turner.

For Turner, the Icelandic countryside is his studio, and horses are his muse. The form of the horse features strongly in Nick’s paintings, drawings and photography.

Speaking with Twyla about the animal, he said: “From a young age I have felt an understanding and calmness around them. They seem to carry some of the most pure and sensitive emotions of any animal.”

Twlya recently travelled with Tuner to the Icelandic countryside to document his interaction with these horses and their role in his creative process. In the series, it emerged that Turner himself plays a key role as he literally runs wild with the animals, completely naked, exuding something both primate and delicate. “I do a lot of self portraiture and self examination with horses or in nature,” he said.

Explaining further about the project, Turner speaks candidly about how it may easily be misconstrued. “This is not to be confused with a project about vanity, but more about trying to understand my own personal insecurities and where I am most comfortable.”

“I always related more to horses,” he continues. “I’m much more comfortable around them than with people.”

The series is quite shocking at first glance – it’s beastly and completely stripped of any self-consciousness – but is also raw and starkly beautiful.

Have a look below and read the piece from Twyla here.

nick turner
nick turner
nick turner
nick turner
nick turner
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