Paolo Roversi: Nudi [Hardcover]

Paolo Roversi (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 1999

In this beautifully designed book, Paolo Roversi presents for the first time his nudes of the luminous faces of our times. Famous fashion models as well as unknown people are revealed as never before, in subtle, tender and near-mystical images full of erotic energy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Steidl/Stromboli (August 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 388243662X
• ISBN-13: 978-3882436624
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Elegant but cold,innovative but repetetive., November 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Paolo Roversi: Nudi (Hardcover)

Elegant but cold.Innovative but repetetive.I've been waiting for this book to get published for two years.Finally,I am holding it in my hands.Somehow I can't help but feeling dissapointed.Roversi was obviously trying to show the fragile,soft and very intimate side of his young models.However,all of them are presented in exactly the same manner.Yes, Roversi's idea of creating transparent,soft almost ghost-like image of a female is nice,and yes it works beautifully with tall,thin boy -like women.But by the end of the book i could not help but feeling that I have been looking at the collection of female shapes,which look like pattern because of the identical technique and composition. Don't let me put you off,even if this book won't blow your mind it's still a wonderful example of taste and style.However ,those of you who have seen Roversi's work for italian Vogue will know that this extremely tallented artist is capable of much more.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Roversi's Photographic "Sketches", April 11, 2000

By 

Tom Rand - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paolo Roversi: Nudi (Hardcover)

While looking through the pages of Nudi, one is often reminded of nudes in an artist's sketchbook. Roversi's images are closer to drawing, borrowing heavily from an artist's pencil, rather than straightforward photography. Reducing the final image to a creamy-white, the strength of the photographs rely on what little remains: the hair - so much more noticeable due to its contrast against the overexposed subjects; the expressiveness of the eyes; and, most striking - the dark lines that outline the naked body. The viewer is relentlessly forced to concentrate on the natural shape of the women's bodies that come to life through the simplicity of this technique. That these women are models is irrelevant; they are not photographed to represent fashion. The women are photographed with the conviction of showing a model as Woman, and not the opposite. There are critics who complain about Roversi's style, while also pointing out the redundancy of the images in this book. What Roversi has done with Nudi is use the book to define a style of photographing that will indelibly link him to his images - it is his signature. A signature style is what makes an artist unique; it defines them, while setting them apart from other photographers and above all, it is one of the most difficult challenges in the creation of noteworthy photography. I applaud Roversi for his aesthetic convictions. By reducing the presence of his female subjects to highlight the subtle contrast between light and dark, Roversi leaves us to concentrate on the beautiful minimalism of line, shape, and expression. In the end, the book's minimalism allows us to see so much more.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect mix of sensuality and innocence, September 23, 1999

By 

Chuck Padgett (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paolo Roversi: Nudi (Hardcover)

I ordered this book two years ago after seeing a preview of it in a British magazine. It has at long last been published and it was well worth the wait. Paolo Roversi masterfully captures a perfect mix of sensuality and innocence with these portraits, which have a wonderful sketch-like quality. Roversi's technique places the emphasis on the face and hair, including pubic, while washing out the rest of the body to give his subjects an ethereal, ghostly quality. The list of models reads like a who's who of the current fashion runway set, including Kate Moss, Milla Jovovich, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Trish Goff, Stella Tennant, Guinevere Van Seenus, Kristen McMenamy, Michelle Hicks, Angela Lindvall and Karen Elson. Thus we have women who made a name for themselves by wearing clothes presented in ultimate contrast with astonishing results. Roversi and his models should be proud of what they have accomplished with "Nudi." This is a beautiful book.