In such uniquely visionary books as Water Dance, Pool Light, Passion & Line, and Nude Body Nude, Howard Schatz has established himself as one of the great photographers of the human form. Working primarily with dancers, Schatz has been particularly attracted to form shaped by function. Now, in Athlete, he reaches the zenith of his photographic paean to the human body, creating an astonishing record of the specialized forms both adapted to the wide spectrum of sport and shaped by fiercely focused effort. His subjects, as varied and meticulously documented as Audubon's birds, literally embody the astonishing array of physical perfection required for their particular sports. With a seamless blend of art and precision, Schatz shows us the awesome upper-body power of Olympic wrestling champion Rulon Gardner discus thrower Adam Setliff, and football player Joe Johnson; the lissome graces of high jumper Charles Austin and rhythmic gymnast Jessica Howard; the shock-absorbing legs of downhill skier Daron Rahlves; the sculptural perfection of NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens and sprinter Sean Crawford; the compact muscularity of gymnasts Tasha Schwikert and Sean Townsend; the Giacometti-like slenderness of marathoners Tegla Loroupe and American marathon champion Deena Drossin; as well as 125 other athletes at the top of their games, In serene portraits and intricately dissected motion photographs, Schatz gives us an unprecedented celebration of the body as divine machine, and manages at the same time to present a collective view of the human spirit at its most intense.
The photographs of Howard Schatz are exhibited in museums and photography galleries internationally and are included in innumerable private collections. He has received international acclaim for his work and is one of the most sought-after photographers working today Athlete is the fourteenth book of photographs by Howard Schatz, His four most recent books are: the powerful and sensual study of the human body in Nude Body Nude; the richly humorous and playfully elegant Body Knots, which breaks new ground with its view of the body; Passion & Line, an arrestingly beautiful photographic profile of dancers; and Pool Light, the thrilling ensemble of underwater images that was featured in magazines around the world, including France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Russia, Israel, and Japan. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications, including Time, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, Life, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Elie, Harper's Bazaar, Forbes, Geo, Block & White, Stem, Amadeo, American Photo, and Entertainment Weekly
Schatz's editorial and fashion photography is seen regularly in the United States and abroad, and he has made extraordinary images for such advertising clients as Sony, Nike, Finlandia Vodka, Etienne Aigner, Target, MGM Grand Hotel, Virgin Records (the Janet Jackson music video "Every Time"), Dannon, Wolford Swimbodies, Pantene, Barely There, AT&T, IBM, Showtime, and Mercedes-Benz.
Each of Schatz's books is the result of a unique collaboration with award-winning producer and senior editor Beverly Ornstein, his wife and business partner, Together they live and work in New York.
The fine art photography of Howard Schatz is represented in New York by the SoHo Triad Fine Art Gallery (a full list of galleries can be found on page 6).
