Disciple & Master [Hardcover]

Joel-Peter Witkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2000

Disciple & Master unites witkin's photographs with the images that inspired them. Works by photographers such as Charles Negre, Walker Evans, Horst and Cartier-Bresson are matched with Witkin's compelling visions. Text by the photographer illuminates the complex relationship between each pair of images.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Fotofolio Inc (October 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584180218
• ISBN-13: 978-1584180210
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 11.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives Insights into Witkin's Thought Processes (Note: Not for the Squeamish), September 15, 2005

By 

ReviewerWhoPrefersToBeAnonymous (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Disciple & Master (Hardcover)

This book, whose "original French edition" was "Joel-Peter Witkin, disciple et maître" published in Paris by Marval in 2000, is valuable for two reasons. First, it "unites Witkin's photographs" with previous photos that inspired Witkin; in contrast, to understand some of Witkin's famous photographs based on paintings*, you often need to scurry around to find reproductions of the paintings. Second, similar to Ansel Adams's book "Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs" (1989), this book gives insights into the artist's thought processes that led to the creation of his photos.

This book starts with an essay, "Joel-Peter Witkin, Disciple and Master" by Pierre Borhan. It rambles a bit, but is overall informative.

The central part of the book is "Becoming a Camera" with "texts by" and "selection of images" by Witkin, and "with the collaboration of Eugenia Parry." Here are the names of the photographers who inspired Witkin, and the titles of Witkin's resulting works: Mayer & Pierson -> "The Prince Imperial, New Mexico, 1981"; Weegee -> "Fetishist, San Francisco, 1981"; Jacques Henri Lartigue -> "Collector of Fluids, New Mexico, 1982"; Wilhelm von Gloeden -> "Von Gloeden in Asien, New York, 1984"; unidentified -> "Amour, New Mexico, 1987"; Lewis Carroll -> "Apollonia and Dominatrix Creating Pain in the Art of the West, New York City, 1988"; Carl Lumholz -> "Nude with Mask, Los Angeles, 1988"; Brassai -> "Woman with Appendage, New Mexico, 1988"; Charles Negre -> "Negre's Fetishist, Paris, 1990"; Man Ray -> "Woman Once a Bird, Los Angeles, 1990"; Walker Evans -> "Feast of Fools, Mexico City, 1990"; Diane Arbus -> "Man with Dog, Mexico, 1990"; Jean-Baptiste Sabatier-Blot -> "Satiro, Mexico, 1992"; Felix Nadar and Adrien Tournachon -> "Dog on a Pillow, Marseille 1994"; Charles Winter -> "Studio de Winter, Paris, 1996"; Roger Fenton -> "Who Naked Is, Paris, 1996"; Henri Cartier-Bresson -> "The Shepherd's Sunday, Rome, 1996"; Disfarmer -> "Black Man, Rome, 1996"; Kimura Kenichi -> "The Eggs of My Amnesia, Rome, 1996"; unidentified -> "Abundance, Prague, 1997"; Roger Fenton -> "Still Life with Mirror, 1998"; Etienne-Jules Marey -> "Beauty has Three Nipples, Berlin, 1998"; unidentified -> "Anna Akhmatova, Paris, 1998"; F. Holland Day -> "Crucified Horse, New Mexico, 1998"; Henri Manuel -> "Shoe-F__ker, Paris, 1998"; and Horst P. Horst -> "Humor and Fear, New Mexico, 1998."

A one-page epilogue by Witkin (stating, among other things, "I know that I will be remembered as a Christian artist" and "I believe that my work will make a contribution to history") and credits conclude the book. Buy this and other books by and about Witkin** at Amazon.com!

Note: This book is not for the squeamish. As is common in Witkin's work, the book shows plenty of nudity, body parts, S&M, a dead baby, a dead fetus, etc. And the "Nude with Mask" is a four-year-old girl.

* Among which are: "Las Meninas, New Mexico" (1987) which was inspired by "The Family of Philip IV or 'Las Meninas' " (1656) by Diego Velázquez de Silva; "Gods of Earth and Heaven" (1988) which was inspired by "The Birth of Venus" (1485) by Botticelli; and "Studio of the Painter (Courbet), Paris" (1990) which was inspired by "The Artist's Studio: a Real Allegory of a Seven-Year Phase in My Artistic and Moral Life" (1855) by Gustave Courbet.

** Such as: "Joel-Peter Witkin: Forty Photographs" (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1985 & 1992); "Joel-Peter Witkin" (Twelvetrees Press, 1985); "Gods of Earth and Heaven" (Twelvetrees Press, 1989 & 1991); "Harms Way: Lust & Madness, Murder & Mayhem: A Book Of Photographs" (Twin Palms, 2nd ed., 1994); "Witkin" (with text by Germano Celant, Scalo, 1995); "The Bone House" (Twin Palms, 1998); and "Joel-Peter Witkin" (by Eugenia Parry, Phaidon, 2001).

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Dimension, October 9, 2001

By 

B.Jamrus (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disciple & Master (Hardcover)

This book gives readers a unique view into the work and mind of Joel-Peter Witkin. Not only does it provide us with a good sampling of his own thought-provoking imagery, but also with visual references of the works that have influenced his photographs. In addition, Witkin gives us, in his own words, written insight, a personal interpretation of some of the images he has created. It is put together nicely with the text preceeding the photographs so that the photos occupy seperate pages. In this way the text enhances the viewing rather than interrupts it.
Highly recommended.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning achievement, February 14, 2001

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Disciple & Master (Hardcover)

A book that will satisfy both the avid fans of Joel Peter Witkin's art and newcomers to this modern genius' output. We earn more about influence and process than we ever thought we would know. This beautifully presented volume is both an homage to Witkin's mentors and a celebration of his gifts as Master of the Bizarre. A fine addition to the volumes on Witkin and to the library of Fine Art Photography in general.