As a photographer George Platt Lynes was a brilliant craftsman and master of composition, whether it be in one of his many portraits of the famous and the legendary, or in his stunningly vivid documentations of the New York City Ballet. This skill and passion for his subjects led to enormous success in the 30s and 40s as he was published in the leading fashion magazines of the day -- "Vogue," "Harper's Bazaar" and others. But Platt Lynes was also a myth-maker with a photographic obsession that sadly remained mostly unpublicised until after his death. In collaboration with his male nude models he was able to transcend time and place -- these images simultaneously glance back as a "homage" to Greek mythology and athleticism, and look forward to the modern, urban eroticism of Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber. This book breaks down his body of work into distinct sections. The portraits include such luminaries of twentieth century art and society as Thomas Mann, Igor Stravinsky, Countess Bismarck and Gertrude Stein, as well as fellow lens-men Cecil Beaton and Henri Cartier-Bresson, and it is clear from the lighting and the often surreal framing that he was a master of the form. This extends into his work with ballet and fashion, but of course it is in his extensive nude images that his admiration for the male body and his expert technique are truly brought together.
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17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
George platt Lynes by David Leddick,
This review is from: George Platt Lynes (Hardcover)
The very first line of this book warns the reader that David Leddick is no scholar. He states that Lynes was one of the most famous photographers in America by the mid-century. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lynes's career began to falter in the 1940's and by 1950 he was pretty much unknown outside a small New York gay and fashion circle. Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Capa, W. Eugene Smith, Horst P. Horst, Man Ray, Edward Weston, Walker Evans, Paul Strand, Edward Steichen and even Lynes's friend Cecil Beaton were the most famous photographers in America at that time, many were household names. Lynes was never anywhere near their level of celebrity in his lifetime. More of a problem is the author's uninspired photo selection which is missing some of Lynes's great masterpieces. It seems as though the author simply compressed Jack Woody's three great books on Lynes (published by Twelve Trees Press) into one, but without Woody's fastidious eye. A big book but no one is home!
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent stuff,
By A Customer
This review is from: George Platt Lynes (Hardcover)
"As a photographer George Platt Lynes was a brilliant craftsman and master of composition, whether it be in one of his many portraits of the famous and the legendary, or in his stunningly vivid documentations of the New York City Ballet. But Platt Lynes was also a myth-maker with a photographic obsession that remained mostly unpublished until after his death. In collaboration with his male nude models he was able to transcend time and place - these images simultaniously glance back as a "homage" to Greek mythology and athleticism, and look forward to the modern, urban eroticism of Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber. This book breaks down his body of work into distinct sections. The portraits include such luminaries of twentieth century art and society as Thomas Mann, Igor Stravinsky and Gertrude Stein, as well as fellow lens-men Cecil Beaton and Henri Cartier-Bresson, and it is clear from the lighting and the often surreal framing that he was a master of the form. It is in his extensive nude images that his admiration for the male body and his expert technique are truly brought together." - text from Intermale
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful Edition of Lynes Photography!,
By
This review is from: George Platt Lynes (Hardcover)
Over the years I have collected everything I can about George Platt Lynes career as a photographer. As a true admirer of his wonderful black & white photography I feel this is a wonderful new addition published by Taschen. It's a beautiful over-sized book with over 240 pages of beautifully reproduced photos of his many different images. The book is broken down into five sections; Portraits, Ballet, Nudes, Fashion and Mythology. I especially enjoyed his ballet photos, fashion and nude images. Each section has a detailed history of each photography subject. It's a great history of his career. There is a detailed biography by David Leddick that is excellent. It's very informative and helpful if you are not familiar with Lynes work, or if you are just refreshing your knowledge of this man's great photography from the 30's & 40's. There was a certain innocent and raw beauty in photography back then that makes these images of his very classic. Lynes use of shadows and light make his models come right at you, in such stark realistic fashion. This book would make a great gift, or a great addition to your collection, or coffee-table. A real visual experience from one of the best!
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