Customer Reviews

The Male Nude Now: New Visions for the 21st Century

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The photographs and reproductions of drawings and paintings and sculture in David Leddick's book are so clear, clean and produced so beautifully that it makes this important, if paperbound, volume worth the high price.

Leddick has cleverly divided the book into seven different categories: artists who are experimentalists, those who are neo-classicists, eroticists, fantasists, sensualists, realists and romanticists. The categories contain images by famous artists: David Hockney, John Dugdale, Christopher Makos, Nan Goldin, Duane Michaels, et al. mixed with those of artists who are not so well known, my personal favorites being David Halliday and Greg Bruce.

Leddick's opening essay (which could very easily be much longer and more detailed) explains what artists in the past had to put up with if their art contained even a hint of male eroticism. Times have obviously changed and this book is proof of that fact.

My one criticism, and it is a major one, is that the author insists on "gilding the lily." All of his examples speak best by being viewed. Besides biographical material which is to my mind vital, Leddick's extraneous editorial comments often border on the precious and are always unnecessary i.e. "Jack Slomovits photographs men who seem to be lost in their own erotic fantasy world...," "It's hard to imagine how he (Stewart Shining)finds time for his artistic pursuits between meetings with fashion editors, shoots in Florida and bookings in his studio...," "Rankin is very much a rebel with a cause...."
My advice: Look at the countless, first rate examples in the book and then contact the artists or their representatives as listed in the index to learn more about them.

David Leddick has moved from his prodigious gifts as a photographer to establish himself rather swiftly in the realm of art historian/commentator. In "Male Nude Now" Leddick opens this well designed book with a terse essay and then lets the artists speak for themselves. The subject: The growing acceptance and interest in the male nude as depicted by photographers, draughtsmen, painters and sculptors in the 21st century. In placing his subject approach in chapters/divisions such as Experimentalists, Fantasists, Neoclassicists, Sensualists etc he attempts to emphasize various approaches to the male nude. It works. Though the dividing lines are vague, they do set up a dialogue for the viewer. One of the most gratifying aspects of this book is Leddick's finely researched coverage of artists who appreciate and celebrate the male nude. There are the well known artists such as Don Bachardy, Duane Michaels, Tom Bianchi, Michael Leonard, Chuck Close, David Hockney, et al - all represented by fresh works not visible in other books. But it is his inclusion of such fine young talents as Wes Hempel, John Sonsini, Graydon Parrish, Wolfgang Tillmans etc that make this a voyage of discovery. The reproductions are true, divided bewteen richly colored images and all phases of Black and White photographs. And in keeping with the documentary style, he includes photos and bios of each of the artists he has selected.
This is a fine addition to the literature of art, to the dialogue of the ongoing struggle of presenting the nude male frontally that faces all artists (and viewers), and to the sophisticated art books that grace the libraries and coffee tables of sensitive people. Bravo!

Mr. Leddick has outdone himself on this one. With over 100 artists represented, this is one of the most inclusive collections of male nudes I have seen. There are photographers, painters and sculptors represented. The only requirement seems to be that the artist be living. Several of those represented are well-known, Greg Gorman, George Dureau, Michael Leonard, Tom Bianchi, Christopher Makos, Arthur Tress, Nan Goldein, John Dugdale, Chuck Close, David Hockney and Don Barchardy, to name a few. But most of the artists are unknown-- at least to me. There is literally every kind of nude male you can imagine here and some you probably didn't. Mr. Leddick arranges the art in what seems a rather arbitrary grouping to me: experimentalists, neoclassicists, eroticists, fantasists, sensualists, realists and romanticists. He could just as easily have grouped the artists alphabetically, for my money.

There are a couple of dozen previously unknown artists I was crazy about. I particularly liked Steve Underhill, Jack Balas and Terry Gaskins. (There is a brief paragraph about each artist with a small photo included with each work of art; then there are addresses for the artists printed as well.)I would love to have seen all the people who got culled, or at least those who deserve honorable mention.

My only complaint about this beautiful book is that it is printed in a paperback edition only. You certainly want this one to last.

"As old taboos have lifted in the past fifteen years, an increasing number of pioneering photographers and artists have taken up the male nude form as a primary subject. Though there have numerous monographs, there has been no comprehensive look at the new work in this field--until now. Male Nude Now presents for the first time a definitive collection of the best contemporary work on the male figure. No other book has approached the scope and heft of this volume, which boasts more than two hundred images from the most promising artists today. ¶ Culled from Galleries and museums around the world, the stellar contributor list includes new and established names including: Duane Michals, John Dugdale, Clive Barker, Chuck Close, Pierre et Gilles, Tom Bianchi, Francesco Scavullo, Jeff Burton, Greg Gorman, Christopher Makos and Reed Massengill. A powerfully erotic and intelligent package for admirers of the male physique--and aren`t we all?"--© zebraz

I'm sure that the artist photographers are masters in their field. However, the sampling introduced in this book barely made my mouth water (with the odd exception), let alone drool.

If you're serious about photography, and less about the depiction of male beauty, this book is for you.

This is an excellent collection of images from photographers, sculptors, and painters who use the male nude as subject matter. There is a nice range of work and included are major names in the art community as well as commercial photographers and more experimental emerging talents. William Yang's work includes writing directly on the photograph, usually on the skin of the subject, and has a nice narrative aspect as well as playing on the propensity to `read' the human body. David Lebe's experimental work where he uses light to make the images glows has a familiar yet alien aspect. Matthias Herrmann uses himself as subject matter in a clever sexy way that makes high art of the come-on photo. Lyle Ashton Harris's work makes commentary on racial stereotypes. David Halliday's almost austere approach is highly appealing. Wes Hempel's perfect paintings are appealing and evoke art history. George Dureau's use of nude male amputees is superb, their massive muscles contrast with their truncated limbs, evoking the ruins of Rome. Graydon Parrish's paintings could not be more beautiful. I did not realize George Tooker was gay until I saw that he was included in this book and the short biography refers to his lover, Bill. Tom Bianchi has to be given credit for his willingness to explore distorted poses when photographing perfectly beautiful men. Christopher Makos of the Warhol scene perfectly balances form and eroticism. Tony Butcher, who uses the Black male as his primary subject, often captures movement and dance in his subjects that other photographers miss. Cecily Brown's painting is rich with abstraction, brush-stroke, and imagery. The highly manipulated photographs of Pierre et Gilles create a dream world. E.D. Armstrong photographs Black men with the blackest body oils to create a unique, almost mythological world. Bruce Sargeant's paintings are wonderful, highly contrasted images evoking a period 100 years ago. Roberto Rincon's juxtaposition of the nude against a solid black field, with odd props, evokes a range of emotions. David Vance, like Tom Bianchi, has models that are perfection. Klaus Gerhart's attention to texture makes his nudes rich. John Sonsini's paintings and photographs of Mexican day laborers is exceptional. Nan Goldin's documentation of her life and friends seems natural and casual. Michael Leonard is a painter of rare talent; his nudes are incredible in their subtle natural poses. Duane Michals, the master of maximum impact with minimal artifice, is narrative in his work. David Hockney's approach to the male nude is as commanding as Picasso for the female nude. Don Barchardy's fresh style is always so compelling. The collection of photographs is a very good survey of the artists and images that have male the male nude a dynamic subject for the visual arts.

Gay men might be well advised to buy two copies of this book because the first one's pages are likely to be stuck together in no time (you know what I mean). Page after page of gorgeous male bodies!!! Beautiful!!! Women ought to appreciate this too.

This is a great book for when (if you're a male) want to see some nude men.