The Horse Is Good [Paperback]

Viggo Mortensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004

The nobility and pure poetry of horses is celebrated in the exquisite color and black and white photographs of Viggo Mortensen, who thoughtfully explores their roles as partners, teachers, and fellow travelers, asking no favors and returning respect for respect. Featuring photographs from Mortensen's extensive international travels, the images range from sharply colorful close-ups and vivid mustang landscapes to dappled, dreamy forms and ghostly, abstract tableaus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Perceval Pr (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097470783X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974707839
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Horse" is good, June 30, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Horse Is Good (Paperback)

Artist Viggo Mortensen has rapidly gained a reputation for befriending his equine costars in movies like "Hildago" and "Lord of the Rings," even buying some of them once the movies were done. Now he takes his love of horses one step further. In "The Horse is Good," Mortensen presents his unique vision of horses from across the world, from a perspective that isn't entirely human.

Mortensen presents a sort of ethereal photographic exercise, showing all sorts of horse photographs. Some are sharp black-and-white shots, and some are colorful. Some are blurred, and some take awhile to figure out where the horse is in the photo. And some are distant and obscured by weather conditions, like a the final shot in a depressing movie finale.

Mortensen took his photographs all across the world, presenting us with photos from Morocco, South Dakota, Montana, New Zealand, Denmark, Brazil, Iceland, California, and Argentina. Surprisingly, he keeps the perspective fresh -- you don't get sick of page after page of horses. You're more likely to be struck by the quiet, earthy beauty captured in each image, all different.

And Mortensen's photography itself is pretty varied -- there's color and stark black-and-white photos, with some bright and blurry and some sharply focused. The shots themselves vary in a technical sense. Mortensen took some photographs from the rider's point of view (never has the back of a horse's ears looked so interesting), and others from the horse's point of view, down below where photographs are usually shot. That unusual technique makes the photos seem less like a simple photo, and more like a split second through a horse or lonely rider's own eyes.

Viggo Mortensen's love of horses shines through brightly in "The Horse is Good," a simple, beautiful study of one of mankind's oldest companions. Quiet and very lovely.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Viggo is Good With Horses, January 17, 2005

By 

Wendy M. Weathers "Viento" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Horse Is Good (Paperback)

You can definitely feel Viggo's love for horses. He captures man's relationship with them. The photographs are shot mostly on location during his time filming Hidalgo. The first photographs are noteworthy. At first I thought what was he thinking, but now I appreciate the hidden beauty. In these first photos he uses a layering effect much like his paintings. They look as though he superimposed the photographs. The results are an abstract outline of figures.

Viggo shoots from many perspectives-seated atop, from below, straight on; he focuses on an eye, a mouth, the hairs on the body, the sweat, and hands on the reigns.

He captures the desert sun and shadows at noon as well as shadows at night. I can't help but wonder-how did he do that without getting a shadow of the camera in the picture?

I like his technique. The photographs are skillful and artistic. They show the human side of Viggo. The horses speak for themselves. It leaves me respecting both of them.

The final picture is taken by Viggo's son Henry, who also has talent. We get a glimpse of Viggo with a horse nuzzling his camera.

Very well done.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hidalgo 2002-2003, March 22, 2005

By 

R. L. Hodges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Horse Is Good (Paperback)

This is an exceptional book of photography with the noted surprises by Mr. Mortensen. It is a book entirely of photographs*; the subject is exclusively of horses; all of the photos were taken on or near the movie set for Hidalgo*. The only writings in the book are the index page (but no page numbers) and a dedication page "For Hidalgo and Frank T. Hopkins."
It is a grand study of THE HORSE with full page photos. Included are photos of some of the supporting actors and their horses in the "Oceans of Fire" 3000 mile race.
What is intriguing are the self photographs of Mr. Mortensen as Frank T. Hospkins and Hidalgo. How he mastered those photos and shots of his shadow without revealing that he was the photographer* is amazing. The numerous photos of shadows are very imaginative and creative.
The movie Hidalgo is a must see and will certainly put this photo album in proper perspective. Happy Trails!
***Exceptions 1) One painting on opening page; 2)Two Mortensen family photos; 3) One photo of Dad by Henry.***