Customer Reviews

Lady: Lisa Lyon

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Robert Mapplethorpe is famous for his highly erotic male nudes. He also created a series of B/W photos of flowers in order to have pictures to sell that were not so erotically charged. His photos of Lisa Lyon, the first famous female bodybuilder, fall into a very different category. Mapplethorpe shot a few other muscular females in the late 1970s, but his most extensive work was with Lisa. This was a very collaborative project - Lisa Lyon was a kind of "performance artist" who was very involved in creating the images seen in this book. By modern standards, Lisa hardly looks like a bodybuilder at all (the so-called "fitness" women are more muscular) but she was very much a pioneer in the field and Mapplethorpe was one of the few photographers of the day (another being Helmut Newton) to turn his attention to the muscular female body. "Lady" is an interesting book of pictures, especially for (1) fans of Mapplethrope, (2) fans of Lisa Lyon, (3) fans of the muscular female physique - as well as those who simply like interesting collections of photographs.

This book is one of the most interesting photographic studies of a woman that I have ever seen because it displays so many dimensions of the same person. You feel like you've moved past the external to understand the psyche of Lisa Lyon. Most books of female photography focus on one aspect of one female role, whether it be as fashion model, temptress, character etched in a face, tender of children, or as a beautiful icon. This book captures all those roles except the tender of children, plus adds quite a few others that are rarely seen. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the full potential of the photographic art.

Before going further, you should realize that this book contains much female nudity of a challenging sort that would probably cause the images to exceed an R rating if they were a motion picture.

Most of the images were taken in New York City between 1980 and 1982. Ms. Lyon had won the first World Women's Bodybuilding Championship in Los Angeles in 1979. She refused to defend her title, stating that she was a "performance artist" who acts as a "sculptor whose raw material was her own body." Seeing her posing in these images makes me realize that aspect of her talent and interests. She and Mr. Mapplethorpe collaborated on what images to shoot, and enjoyed lively wrangles along the way.

The foreword by Samuel Wagstaff nicely summarizes the results. The images "escape the shackles of womanly stereotype." As the dust cover image shows, she could sit like a "lady" while showing her "muscle" at the same time. The joint effects are fascinating. As Mr. Wasgtaff points out, it's "a new freedom of tongue-in-cheek." One image has her standing totally bare wearing only an old-fashioned gas mask.

Ms. Lyon adds her own comment. "The pictures are a little hard, like us." As a body builder, she can pose so that you see extreme muscle definition or she can relax in a dress and simply look like a fascinating fashion model. This flexibility adds greatly to the viewer's enjoyment.

In the essay by Bruce Chatwin, you can learn a lot about Mr. Mapplethorpe's work here. "His eye for a face is the eye of a novelist in search of a character . . . ." ". . . [H]is eye for a body that of a classical sculptor in search of an 'ideal.'" Mr. Mapplethorpe's female sitters "seem mesmerized . . . by his presence, and they are temporarily transported into a dream-world."

As for Ms. Lyon, she describes herself this way. "My childhood was dark." Mr. Chatwin points out the wonderful contribution she makes to the images through her "histrionics, ability to sass, spoof, impersonation, parody, caricature, and charade." He feels that Mr. Mapplethorpe and she have created a "picaresque novel." Mr. Mapplethorpe was originally attracted by her "air of an Old Testament heroine."

I found almost all of the images to be outstanding. They are not named, so I will do my best to describe a few to give you a flavor for the work.

Emerging from the water, Fire Island, New York (this is a classic Venus pose);

Framed by foliage, Jamaica (this gives a feeling of full-bodied innocence in the Garden of Eden);

In repose on a raised cement curb, Jamaica (this gives a sculptoral feeling of looking at a Greek goddess);

Lifting torso on bench, Jamaica (this is a difficult muscle stunt that displays perfect form and strength, and gives the feeling of classic sculpture);

Silhouette with knife, New York City (this looks like a French cut-out);

Sitting on edge of shower, Jamaica (this feels like a woman in deep thought and is all about the mind, even though the body is nude);

Holding hand mirror wearing corset looking out, New York City (this one raises the question of, who am I?);

Flamenco dancer with her hand holding her skirt up to one side, New York City (this is an idealisation of the female identity);

Nude lit by flaming paper, New York City (this seems like a primitive woman celebrating the religious mysteries).

I found all of the many fashion shots to be delightful because they have a campy feeling. My favorite was the one of her wearing a fedora.

For comparison, I suggest you look at Boris Vallejo's fine photograpic studies of female bodybuilders for his illustrations. That will give you the full sense of how imaginative and wonderful these photographs are.

The question this collection poses is how to get beyond stereotypes. Often these preset notions are so grounded in our thinking that we are not even aware of them. As a result, we presume, assume, and misjudge. We project our fears onto what we see, and act accordingly. I suggest that you use this work to encourage you to project your love and caring instead.

Look beyond what you see now, to imagine what could be. Then act on the potential!

I am a Mapplethorpe fan and, after viewing the Lisa Lyon publication the first time, I felt somewhat disappointed. Then, days later, I became curious as to what I may have overlooked in the pictures. Indeed. Even today, when I open the book to enjoy the work of Mapplethorpe, I sometimes notice something of interest I missed the last time. By no means, is Lisa Mapplethorpe's best publication, but, most assuredly, it is a good buy and one which will gather no dust

Robert Mapplethorpe is one of our century's most misunderstood, and important artists. His skill with the camera was matched only by his genius in deciding what, and how, to photograph. These images of Lisa Lyons are at times reminiscient of the work of Edward Weston, one the the all time great photographers of history, and they reveal the true beauty of feminine strength. Sadly, Robert was one of the casualties of the AIDS crisis, but his work lives on, and will change lives for the better for many, many years to come. Review by Edward Lynn, student of commercial photography, The Art Institute of Seattle

The book is full of beautiful and provocative images - much what you might expect from Mapplethorpe. Apparently the hardcover version has reached collector or cult status and the price has skyrocketed. I wanted the book for its art so the inflated prices of the hadcover book are not worthwhile for me. But beware that some hardcover veditions that seem to be reasonably priced are actually German prints. If you only want to see the art and are not concerned about the text, the German prints may be a good way to get a hardcover book. I bought this softcover edition, not knowing the text of the hardcover is not present. The art is stunning and Lisa Lyon is alluring. I am very pleased at the bang-for-the-buck value.

This is a seminal photography book but make sure you are not getting the miniature 1996 edition. You will have to look to find the original which includes Bruce Chatwin's introduction "An Eye and Some Body" (gratuitously over praising the collaborators but points out the nihilism and pornographic element, and that is meant in a good manner) and Sam Wagstaff's foreword is where the excellent critique really comes. Of course with the miniature edition you need a magnifying glass to read it.

The images are excellent at any size but were meant to be seen at the original size, the photographer's original desire. Lisa Lyon was not the perfect, airbrushed fashion model in this book (Helmut Newton obviously used more glamorous production with her face) but that was Mapplethorpe's manner of breaking down stereotypes. Against the believed conception Lisa Lyon appears from fully clothed to flexing her muscles on the beach either in a bikini or as naked as Arnold Schwarzenegger. She is sensual on one side of the two page spread and masculinely muscular on the other page. Both of the collaborators wanted to push the envelope of what Lady Lisa Lyon is. It illustrates both the curves (feminine)and the muscles (masculine) dressing the sensual up in different costumes or not. This book is the art of size that matters.

I still don't have received this book. First it will arrive at the end of Februar, nov aprox April! But I already paid for it.