Jock Sturges: New Work, 1996-2000 [Hardcover]

Jock Sturges (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Scalo Publishers; First edition (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3908247365
• ISBN-13: 978-3908247364
• Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 13 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,402,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply beautiful, August 28, 2004

By 

David R. Munson "Photographic lost cowboy" (Chicago, IL, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jock Sturges: New Work, 1996-2000 (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Jock Sturges' work for as long as I have been involved in photography (meaning about eight years now). For a long time, his book The Last Day of Summer was my favorite published body of his work. I still hold that book in high esteem, but now that I own a copy of New Work, it has been displaced in that regard.

Mr Sturges' portraits are honest, intimate, and beautiful. Very few portratists approach the level of connection that Sturges manages to maintain with his subjects. The images in this book are not photographs made in passing of strangers. Quite the opposite, really. The act that he maintains long-term personal relationships with his subjects shows and it makes all the difference in the world. These are images of a type not found very many other places. In fact, the work of Sally Mann is the only other work to that end that immediately springs to mind.

This is a large book and not cheap, but certainly worth it if you enjoy Mr Sturges work. If you have never seen his work in great detail, I would recommend The Last Day of Summer as a better (and cheaper) starting point. Anyhow, being of a larger size, the images in the book likewise are also larger than in his other publications. I feel they are better represented in this way. And while I think no reproduction in a book can really match a good silver print, the reproductions in this book are certainly top quality and the images come through beautifully.

I will not go into the politics of his work, as I think that if you are considering buying this book, you are well aware of the controversy that has surrounded him for a long time. Controversy or no, I find his work to be truly wonderful and easily worth the price of entry. I see nothing the least bit offensive or immoral about his images. They are a celebration of humanity and deserve to be appreciated as such.

I recommend this volume wholeheartedly. It is one I will keep and look at for decades.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars natural innocents in family settings, March 8, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Jock Sturges: New Work, 1996-2000 (Hardcover)

Before reviewing this book, let me caution potential readers and purchasers that the images contained in the book include many nudes of young female children. If such would be offensive to you, please stop reading here.

Due to the nature of the the content and its subjects, this material would not be able to achieve an "R" rating for a motion picture. I would certainly have discouraged my daughters from appearing in these scenes.

If you are not familiar with Jock Sturges, he presents a most unusual oeuvre. His subject is the physical, emotional, and psychological development of young girls. He portrays his subjects usually in nudist camps where they can be displayed more fully. Many of his models have appeared in his work since quite young ages.

The images are usually taken outdoors with a large format camera, and are posed to create quite complex compositions. At the same time, he wants you to notice nuances in how the bodies are changing, the emotions are developing, and what the personalities are like. He uses the interaction with nature and the other models to bring out the point of each photograph, and lets time provide the rest of the perspective by repeatedly showing the same models over the years. In this work, you will usually see a model over 2-3 years.

The images are very well reproduced on gorgeous paper. I found the duotone images generally better than the color ones, but the color images had a reason for being that caused them to be useful. They pick up the strong color of an eye, or show the connection in skin coloration with a sibling or parent.

Beyond the natural beauty of the human form, you will find yourself impressed that the young people are pretty comfortable with the camera. I liked the poses where the teenage rebellion and awkwardnesses were showing at least a little.

You will also be interested to see genetic influences as two sisters stand near one another, often with their mother. That creates a reflection of inner beauty that is quite remarkable.

The drawbacks of this book's images come in that some scenes are so carefully constructed that they seem artificial and abstract, which steals humanity from the models. Also, the book contains no essay to explain the work. Some would benefit from some words to help them "see" what is contained here.

A potential benefit of this book could be in helping female adolescents become more comfortable with their own developing bodies. That would probably have to be based on some private viewing.

Here are some of my favorites:

Vanessa, Miranda, Maia, Camille, Cecile, Charlotte, Cyrielle and Mylene; Montalivet, France, 1999

Maia, Vanessa and Miranda; Tuscany, Italy, 1999

Vanessa (holding herself version); Tuscany, Italy, 1999

Arianne; Montalivet, France, 1999

Lotte and Nikki; Montalivet, France, 1999

Nikki (on haunches version); Montalivet, France, 1999

Lotte, Vera and Nikki; Montalivet, France, 1999

Lotte; Montalivet, France, 1997

Cecile (2 -- clothed and unclothed); Montalivet, France, 1999

Antoine and Thiery; Montalivet, France, 1999

Sara; Montalivet, France, 1998

Alice; Montalivet, France, 1996

Gaelle; Montalivet, France, 1996

Adele; Montalivet, France, 1999

Lotte, Alice and Nikki; Montalivet, France, 1996

Allegra and Karuna; Northern California, 1998

Misty Dawn; Zurich, Switzerland, 1997

Trea; Northern California, 1983 and 1998

Leela and Nina; Palm Beach, Florida, 1998

Allegra, Northern California, 1996

After you have communed with nature through these photographs, I encourage you to think of how you can enjoy being outdoors with your family in ways that will create relaxed relationships.

Cherish the innocence of youth!

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artistic masterpiece, January 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Jock Sturges: New Work, 1996-2000 (Hardcover)

I was a little hesitant to order this book because of the price, even though I love Jock Sturges' work, but when it came in the mail I was surprised that it didn't cost more. What an incredible and breath-taking piece of work! The book is huge and the quality of the prints are fantastic! I am so impressed by the lighting and shadows and use of color and exquisite beauty of the models. I can't say enough about it. What a treasure!