80 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poor production values let this book down., September 26, 2009
This review is from: Helmut Newton: Sumo (Hardcover)
I remember seeing the original version of Sumo at a Powell's bookstore and wanting it very much. I woulda, coulda, shoulda bought it but its huge size killed the deal; there was just no where that I could safely store it.
Thus, when I stumbled upon this book here on Amazon it took me all of 30 seconds to decide to pull the trigger. Why the hesitation? Primarily because it is a Taschen publication and I have been disappointed by the quality of nearly every Taschen book I have ever handled. This one, unfortunately, is no different, and I believe that I shall return it for a different and, said hopefully, better copy for that reason (One of the pages in my book has errant ink lines running up a quarter of the page from what looks like a roller). I also have a problem with Amazon for shipping me a book with a large tear in the custom made carrying case in which the book comes, by the way, indicating crappy quality control.
This is a an oversized folio book, large and heavy and imposing like the original in miniature. Its immensity indicates that it needed the space in order to do the photographic images justice. Well, I suppose that it does but the problem is that the plates are mealy looking, especially those in the front part of the book. I don't have the original to compare them to but I suspect that this granularity is due to poor reprodutions in the book and not from the original plates; although it is conceivable that the images lost some sharpness due to being blown up, but barely.
Instead, I would argue, based upon my experience with Taschen specifically and Printed in Italy artbooks generally that the fault lies in the Italian printers. These days the best art books are produced in Germany or Japan. Back in the old days it would have been France and in second place Switzerland and USA. Prestel seems to consistently do the best art books these days and it causes me to wonder what the book would have been like if published by them.
Anyway, you still ought to own this, I think, if you collect art books and you must own it if you collect art photography books.
While a lot of the images are seemingly banal or a bit facile, others have a quirky absurdity or stark profundity that cause one to really look twice at these images.
Interestingly, Newton's portraits are often absolutely brilliant. I think that the female Rolling Stone photographer whose name escapes me is generally the most reknowned portrait photographer but I think it would be tough to argue against Mr. Newton's genius.
His Hockney is sublime, among others, one of his Taylor portraits captures her genius/appeal completely, and actually there are a dozen portraits that seem to have completely captured the essential nature of his subjects (Marianne Faithful, Marie LePen). Others are just inexplicably fantastic (Warhol...hmmm one wonders if there was professional envy/competition between the two, and John Malchevic whose filmic nuttiness is captured perfectly). I could go on but you get the picture.
To be honest, I initially hoped and anticipated that the book would have a lot of this nudes because I can't think of another photographer who can put so much blatant sexuality into supposedly high fashion soft-core photographs. The overall quality of the non-nude pictures more than makes up for their absence.
If the book itself were of higher quality it would deserve five stars.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book of Beautiful "Big Nudes", November 5, 2009
This review is from: Helmut Newton: Sumo (Hardcover)
"Sumo" is a wonderful collection of the best of Helmut Newton's unique vision. Fortunately, this edition is not as large and heavy of the original edition about which the fascinating documentary film was made (it's worth renting the film to see). If this was the original edition("Helmet Newton's SUMO") it would be too big and too heavy for the coffee table and would need a special reinforced reading stand just to comfortably view the photographs. That original edition also had a hefty retail price in the $5,000 range. That original edition is now selling for $14,000 new and $9,353 used. This edition is actually a much more practical photographic book. And it won't collapse most people's coffee table. It's also a bargain price-wise.
Helmut Newton had a fascinating life and his autobiography/memoir ("Newton Helmut: Autobiography") is also an amazing read. (Feel free to read my Amazon Review of that volume). It's great because the book documents his escape from Nazi Berlin and his flight around the world to escape the Nazi Death Squads. He obviously did escape but only because he became a nomadic gigolo and that tale (no pun) provides glimpses into the famous photographer's personality. It helps the reader understand why every Jew living in Germany didn't immediately flee the country before it was too late for millions of them.
The biography also tells the stories behind many of the photos in "Sumo." Now that "Sumo" is available at a reasonable price, every serious fan or collector of Newton's work needs to add it to their collection. Ditto for his "Autobiography" if a copy can be located.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
sumo lite - a real heavyweight, November 3, 2009
This review is from: Helmut Newton: Sumo (Hardcover)
I've never forgiven myself for not biting the bullet and snapping up the original Sumo book at what is now a rediculously cheap price. Thank you June Newton for making most of my pain (envy) go away. Your Sumo Lite version punches way above it's weight. Helmut Newton's images are so powerful they really don't need size to impress. Every image is a tribute to his unique ability to empower women, to make them look strong, in control, never making them appear vulnerable or weak. If anything, he, as the photographer, looked like the one being manipulated, directed, being told the way the women liked to be portrayed. And only a master can pull off that kind of magic.
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