The Body: Photographs of the Human Form [Paperback]

William A. Ewing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

The sensual curve of the shoulder, the disturbing line of a scar, the magnetic pull of a lashed eye -- since the birth of photography, images of the human body have attracted, disturbed, fascinated, and obsessed us. The body has been scrutinized by medical and anatomical photographers; it has been celebrated by photographers of sport and dance; it has inspired a long tradition of photographing the nude; and it has been depicted in phantasmagoric terms. In this rich, involving archive of over 360 duotone and color images culled from worldwide collections, renowned photo curator William A. Ewing has compiled the most comprehensive and arresting visual survey ever published of the human form. From nineteenth-century erotica to the politicized images of the 1990s, The Body offers an exciting, elegantly packaged, provocative record of the camera's infatuation with the human figure.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Ewing here presents a wide sampling of images of the human body under a dozen chapters with titles like "Eros," "Estrangement," and "Politic." If the organization follows a somewhat abstract scheme, the photographs themselves are powerful and direct. Included here are images of a single sperm fertilizing an egg, fetuses at various stages, a macrophotograph of an iris, and more titillating, fantastical, clinical, and even prurient images. There are also images by well-known photographers whose work has defined the photography of the nude, e.g., Weston, Cunningham, Bernard, Mann, and Gowin. Juxtaposing some of the 19th-century images with late 20th-century images suggests that there is nothing new to be accomplished in this genre. Indeed, several Eastern European and Japanese photographers contribute manipulated and dramatically staged photos suggesting that we may have exhausted straightforward approaches altogether. Informative and provocative essays complement the outstanding reproductions. Recommended for photohistory and photography collections.
Kathleen Collins, New York Transit Museum Archives, Brooklyn
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Through thoughtful essays, Ewing (Breaking Bounds, not reviewed) transforms a fantastic collection of photographs into a history of photography itself. With careful arrangement and stylish writing free of art- critic blather, Ewing has rendered accessible an almost intimidatingly wide range of works. The introduction covers attitudes toward photographed nudity (and therefore toward sexuality), beginning with a photograph of two topless Zulu women published in a British magazine circa 1879. Setting a pattern for the remainder of the book, Ewing discusses how these photographs reproduced their subjects and simultaneously served as a mirror for contemporary British culture. Chapters carry vague titles like ``Probes'' and ``Metamorphosis,'' which are pithily defined (in these cases as ``the realm of scientific exploration'' and ``the body transformed,'' respectively). Each section starts with a mini- essay expounding a basic principle and tying together the photos. For example, ``Flesh'' links Regina DeLuise's nude woman gripping the heavy, knotted rope of a tire swing and Robert Davies's close- up of a navel. ``Eros'' ponders the personal nature of sexuality, and an 1865 photograph of one woman inserting an umbrella in a second, tuba-playing model's behind is grouped with some squeaky- clean, pin-up-style shots from the 1950s. The shocking chapter entitled ``Estrangement'' contains a range of striking, often disturbing images, including a servant crucified for killing his boss's son and a grotesquely obese sideshow man with a relatively tiny towel placed over his behind, as well as a series showing ``the Hilton Siamese Twins of Texas'' cheerfully swimming, playing tennis, dancing, and flirting in tandem. Some ground is covered twice, and there is an occasional oversight (the essay on ``Estrangement'' brings up the 19th-century popularity of photographs of corpses of loved ones, but no examples are offered). Overall, however, the result is engrossing and the balance of text and photos just right. Stunning, clever, and very provoking. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1 edition (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811807622
• ISBN-13: 978-0811807623
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional collection, March 6, 2002

By 

Erin K. Darling "naive cynic" (olympia, wa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Body: Photographs of the Human Form (Paperback)

William Ewing has assembled a truly remarkable collection of photographs in his book, _The Body_. In twelve sections, ranging from idols to eros, he offers expert narration to photographic works that are sometimes stunning, sometimes shocking. There are pieces within this book that are difficult to look at, because they depict something we have been socialized to try to ignore or overlook (such as those showing birth defects, much physical scarring, or disease,) but each plate has something to say if we look closely (even if it only says, simply, "Behold.")

There are deeply-moving photographs, such as one from Lee Miller, which depicts prisoners at Buchenwald standing next to a large pile of human bones in 1945, and there are also arousing photos, like the erotic pieces from the twenties. Honesty is a frequent theme; several photographers have totally candid, unashamed self-portraits here that could be seen by some as unflattering, but still, here they are - honest.

Truly a humbling book in many ways; the photographic genius represented here is simply amazing, and the absolute humanity of us all is completely laid bare, the trappings of civilization and manners stripped away.

Powerful, sometimes strange, and very enjoyable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great imagery, October 3, 2004

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Body: Photographs of the Human Form (Paperback)

You already know it's great. The promotional shot for the 1995 movie "Showgirls" is a blatant imitation of this book's cover photo (Tono Stano's 1992 "Sense"). If imitation is the sincerest flattery, that's a pretty high-profile compliment.

Despite its title, this is more a study of photography than of the body itself. Ewing reproduces images from the last 150 years, in many technologies, for many purposes. There are medical and microscopic pictures, pictures to titillate, and "freak show" shots. There are the pseudoscientific Victorian images of habitually nude Africans - often, racially based excuses for some drawing-room smut. There are modern abstractions, utterly literal but somtimes so baffling in composition that I can't figure out what I'm looking at.

The images are individually captivating, and even stronger in this well-made collection. About half the bulk of the book is explanatory text, however. I have to admit that I skipped most of that. The few fragments I did read added very little to my understanding or appreciation of the photos, so I let it go by me.

This is a beautiful celebration of the human figure. More than that, it's a catalog, by means of example, of the many purposes and styles that figure photography has had during its relatively brief history. "The Body" will be a real asset to any collection of figure photography.

//wiredweird

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good resource for artists interested in figure drawings, March 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Body: Photographs of the Human Form (Paperback)

This book is a great resource for artists interested working with the figure. The book's format and images provide a rich visual refence to pull from. It is great to see an mass marketed book which presents the human body in all its shapes, sizes and textures.