Customer Reviews

Jock Sturges: New Work 1996-2000.

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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!

This is a beautiful tome of mostly B&W photos (1 per page) of young female European nudists. Many of the pictures were taken at the beach, and capture an elegance routinely missed in everyday life. Sturges has stayed in contact with the models over the years, and the result is a timeline of their youth. He is an immensely talented photographer and if you appreciate the nude female form, you will undoubtedly agree.

That being said, the photographs display a natural sexuality. There is merit to the observation that the subjects are typically teenage girls, and one might ask why that is. I believe he is merely accentuating the beauty that is present in female youth. Unlike David Hamilton, whose photos seem intentionally sexual, Sturges is not adding anything that is not already there. He does not overtly pose the subjects; he just captures them. The girls appear comfortable instead of vulnerable. (Not to criticize Hamilton, but there is a material difference.)

The layout and paper quality were exceptional, and the binding seems robust. All in all, a great collection for your coffee table. But perhaps that depends on the company you keep.

VERY little to complain about in this book. Scarcely anything that could be considered objectionable by anyone willing to accept nude photography. Most of the photos date from 1996-2000, (one '83 and one '95),and are generally of girls or young women mostly nude but a few photos of clothed people. I liked the way Sturges handles light in almost all of his photos, composition did seem a little stilted to me in a few of them. I think it's great that he was able to use the same subjects over the years, obviously the man can get along with people. The color photos were welcome, showing the man is willing to vary his medium and well capable of doing so. One improvement over his last, self titled, book is the inclusion of his subject's name,location and date on the opposite page, much easier to follow than a separate sheet as that last book was presented.

Jock Sturges's latest offering is bigger than its predecessors, towering over everything else on the shelf (on which it balances more precariously than one might like.) It's more handsome than previous volumes, the halftone dots virtually invisible, the finest of details readily discernible. And it features a handful of color pictures, all of which are absolutely gorgeous, the palettes just heartbreakingly lovely.

But perhaps most noteworthy thing about New Work 1996-2000 is that Sturges's cast is all grown up. Unlike his previous monographs, this is not so much an exploration of adolescence as a celebration of adolescence successfully navigated; these are now women in their late teens and twenties who radiate beauty and strength. So the themes are somewhat different from those of, say, Evolution of Grace, but the work is just as brilliant. This is a must-have.

The print quality of this book is breathtaking. I couldn't believe how much more large format and quality printing could enhance an already beautiful body of work-this is an extraordinary book. I enjoy the blending of what is essentially documentary in nature with an exquisite sense of aesthetics. This is no Hamiltonian romanticism/eroticism, and that is why this is precisely, in my estimation, a more real, valuable and important body of work.

Since I had not reviewed his other books in a long time, I've went back to them over and over again since I bought New Works. To see the evolution and metamorphosis of Misty Dawn and all the other subjects is a wonder to behold. I hope that Sturges continues with his quest, but I would also like to see books that present one subject/family at a time. That way, this mystical evolution/metamorphosis of his subjects can best be presented.

I hope he continues to enrich us and our culture with his work. More importantly, I pray that the Ashcroft nomination as Attorney General won't impede nor bode ill for his continued success.

This book is huge- overall 14.5" high by 13" wide..beautiful work, and even better printing than the last volume! Heavier paper, higher res- it's possibly the best-printed monograph I've ever seen, barring limited edition press runs. It is an extraordinary printing achievement, and I commend Scalo for it. Very much worth the money, and now all I have to do is figure out how to fit it into my book shelves..which are only 12" high..guess it's a coffee table book..too bad I never have the vicar over for tea:-) The book has 88 images total, only one of which has been seen before- and that one only in Evolution of Grace (an extremely rare, Japanese-only book), an old pic of Trea from 1983 juxtaposed against a beautiful new shot of her 15 years later as a teenager). Which brings me to my point..summer is ending, in one sense, and you can feel it in this work (as in Jock's Ireland work, not yet collected in a book). His most beloved models are growing up, and his loss of innocence in the intervening years since his raid means that the images will never again be quite the same, as the full awareness of all those people who want to punish him or think ill of him for taking beautiful photos can't be escaped. Instead, Jock (and us his readers) must learn appreciations of new aspects in the work- the use of large format color for one, and the stronger emphasis on portraiture and formal layout. These models, mostly mid-teens or older now, look directly and challengingly at the viewer in almost every image. They too have lost a certain innocence since the first collaborations, and perhaps are now trying to impose their personalities, their force of will and belief in what Jock does, upon our minds. The images are still beautiful and compelling, but in a new way. If their lifestyle and Jock's connection with it had never been so brutally attacked by Randall Terry and his ilk, perhaps this change would never have come about. Whether or not you will find it as appealing as the lost innocence, and the illusion of a simple, sensual and perfect growth from childhood that defined the earlier work is up to you.

As I wrote before in my reviews of `Last Days of Summer' and 'Radiant Identities'*, Sturges depicts the essence of freedom and a way of life many of us (sadly) have forgotten or never discovered.

What's not to like here? The photography is wonderful and unsurpassed, the binding and printing are high standard, the size is generous and the subjects are gorgeous. This beautiful book is worth every penny!

Of course there are always narrow minded people who might object to the contents of this book, probably the same people who'd object to the Venus the Milo, or 'nude paintings' in a museum. However, for any intelligent and open-minded person there is nothing to object to, just Great Art to enjoy and a valuable lesson about life as it's meant to be.

If you can dig that, you will certainly enjoy the book. If you are still in doubt, do yourself a favour and buy it, and if you give it half a chance, it will enrich your life and broaden your horizon. In a way, you can't afford NOT to buy it...

* Please, see there if you want to read more of my reviews about Sturges' work.

Jock Sturges' current book, entitled 'New Work' would be better entitled 'Latest Work'. There is nothing really new here apart from a small number of photographs in color. This is Sturges as we have come to know and admire him, although the work itself seems less inspired than previous efforts. The book however shows the total commitment of the publisher. It is wonderfully designed, the pages are in a VERY large format and the photographs are reproduced wonderfully with exceptional tonalities. Some of the problems with his earlier books with photos crossing the fold are absent here. Sturges deserves such treatment.