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Bitesnich, Andreas H. (Photographer); Cooper, Julian & Gayton, Anthony (Contributors).
ANDREAS H. BITESNICH NUDES.
Zurich, Switzerland:
Editions Stemmle,
1998.
Hardcover.
First Edition/First Printing.
Unpaginated.
As New/As New.
Landmark retrospective collection of male and female nudes. The true First Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with the subsequent edition that is in a small-size format and cheaply produced. A stunningly elegant production by Andreas Bitesnich and Editions Stemmle: Oversize-volume format. A coffee-table book. Black hard boards with titles embossed on cover and spine, as issued. Photographs by Andreas H. Bitesnich. Preface by Greg Gorman. Essays by various contributors. Printed on thick coated stock paper in Zurich, Switzerland to the very highest standards. In pictorial DJ, which features his single most famous image, "Sina and Anthony", and titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Presents some of the photographer's finest and most representative nudes, which celebrate the beauty and erotic appeal of men and women. Andreas H. Bitesnich is unique among great contemporary photographers of the nude: He is equally convincing and erotically explosive, whether it's the male, female, couple or "group"/orgiastic nude portrait. By photographing sexually explicit shots such as "Roy" (an extreme closeup of his erect penis inside a woman's mouth), Bitesnich equally depicts the erotic dimension of the aesthetic and the aesthetic dimension of the erotic. The look that he has developed is strongly "sculptural" and goes back to Masters such as Edward Weston as well as more recent exemplars like Skrebneski and Herb Ritts, with more than a dose of Helmut Newton and Nobuyoshi Araki thrown in for good measure. The look is achieved not only because of the poses but also because the models' bodies are oiled from head to foot and therefore give off a sheen that one normally expects from sculpture. The results are some of the most meticulously crafted, dramatically lit, and beautifully photographed nudes of recent years. What Bitesnich has pulled off is a modern version of the nude that is deliberate, studied, and dynamic. "At the center of Bitesnich's work are the contours and surfaces of the human body, male and female figures transformed into timeless works of art. Bitesnich's adroit use of light and shadow creates a classic yet playful tension that is complemented by his precision and depth of tone. Erotic and highly charged yet simple and technically perfect, 'Nudes' is a celebration of the human body that establishes Bitesnich as one of the masters of photography" (Publisher's blurb). A "must-have" title for Andreas H. Bitesnich collectors. This is an Import title, was not widely distributed in the United States, and is now highly collectible. This is one of extremely few copies of the true First Edition and has no flaws, a pristine beauty. The subsequent edition is in a small-size, inexpensive format, cannot be compared with this edition, and has no collectible value. A rare copy thus. 100 duotone plates. One of the finest living photographers. A flawless copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ANDREAS H. BITESNICH TITLE IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 3908161428. $80.00 |
