Stripped Naked [Hardcover]

Peter Gorman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2004

Raw, real and sexually-charged photographs of beautiful women, all photographed in their own homes. Each woman has her singular story to share, and Stripped Naked expands our understanding with a fresh, untouched sense of composition. With no imposed boundaries, Gorman captures an incredible array of women in free expression of their most intimate selves.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

STRIPPED NAKED The human body as subject matter for photographers – particularly the female body – dates back to the invention of photography itself. Yet because each woman is different and has her singular story to share, artists have never tired of the exploration. And a few photographic artists – Bellocq, Stieglitz, Weston, Newton – have helped shape our vision of the beauty of the female form. With his latest book, Stripped Naked, photographer Peter Gorman has stepped confidently onto their turf, expanding our reach – as viewers, as voyeurs – through the collective comfort level exhibited by his models and the immediacy of his images of them.

Gorman brings to his task a fresh eye and ever-improving digital equipment, making his images seem strangely akin to the SX-70 images shot late in life by Walker Evans. There’s a heightened sense of composition – one of the goals Gorman had for this project – but it isn’t burdensome or preplanned, and it seems to be (as Evans’ shots late in his life seemed to be) about the process of discovery. And it isn’t just about discovering the hidden sides of these women; it is also about discovering the capabilities of digital imaging and pushing those boundaries. And while the activity we see in these images is spontaneous and unplanned, the lighting and composition are more thoughtful; Gorman has pulled back a bit, slowed down, savored the moment, capturing it so that we too can savor it.

All of the models were photographed in their own homes (well, except the model photographed outside and in Peter’s car). This is where Gorman shows particular strength. Rather than being an intrusive or distracting presence, Gorman is an aw-shucks guy who clearly lets his models (all of whom are regular women, rather than professional models) say what they want to say with their spaces, their expressions, and their bodies.

Is this work about titillation? Surely. Is it about art? Decidedly. Is it about pussy? Undoubtedly. And is that word, once frowned upon and said in sly whispers, now an emboldened, empowered term that has found new favor? I think so. These are strong, beautiful women – all of them – who have come to this project with an offering for us. And to my way of thinking, Peter Gorman approaches women just as the architects of the Cathedral at Chartres must have approached the stones from which they would build their masterpiece: with the gift of vision, with singular artistry, and – ultimately – with reverence.

Peter Gorman was born in 1961 in Binghamton, NY. He moved with his wife Rachel to New York City in 1994. His first book was published in 2001 - "Naked in Apartment 7" (Goliath Books). His second book, "Naked Rooms" (Goliath Books) was published in 2002.

His work has been included in the photographic anthologies Nerve/The New Nude (Chronicle Books) and Naked Women (Thunder Mouth Press). Peter Gorman’s photographs have been published in Night, Nerve, Salon, Masquerade, Black Book, Max, Art Photo Akt, Stern, LUI, Maxim, and Black + White. -Reed Massengill, Pulitzer-nominated & award-winning writer, January 2005

About the Author

Peter Gorman moved to New York City in 1994. His work has been included in many photographic anthologies and published in Night, Nerve, Salon, Masquerade, Black Book, Max, Art Photo Akt, Stern, LUI, Maxim, and Black + White.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Goliath Books; Mul edition (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3936709130
• ISBN-13: 978-3936709131
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 10.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,274,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorman reaches new heights with this work, January 25, 2005

By 

Michelle7 "Editor of Michelle7(dot)com" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Stripped Naked (Hardcover)

This is New York photographer Peter Gorman's third book. Just as Naked Rooms was a radically different project from his first book, Naked In Apartment 7, this new work is another departure for him. But this time the results are more mature in their result and set Gorman on an even higher artistic plain. Gone are the highly stylized setups that characterized his first book, and the fluid, documentary style that distinguished his second book is no longer in force here. What we have is a more stable body of work from an artist who appears to possess a stronger sense of himself, and who harnesses a greater command of his craft. Gorman admits to shooting more "from the hip" these days, and all this work was shot in the unknown terrain of his female subjects' own homes, where the lighting conditions were completely unpredictable. But the results are extraordinary, and are laced with a sense of precision not see in his previous works. The lighting, the surroundings, the girls themselves, all flow into a unified and potent ensemble of pictures that are distinctly erotic. These are not just nude portraits of attractive and interesting women - much of this work is blatantly erotic and the subjects all strut their stuff with ostentatious and confident abandon. These are sexual beings that are obviously quite comfortable sharing this aspect of themselves with Gorman. As Reed Massengill notes in the forward - this book is about art .. but it's also about titillation.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorman At His Best, May 14, 2005

By 

G. Reid (Roseland, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stripped Naked (Hardcover)

This book is about one of the most beautiful subjects for a photography essay - pretty naked young women. Gorman's work is very natural as all of the women were photographed in their own homes where they could feel the most relaxed and comfortable. Another plus for the work is that the women are not professional models. They are all comfortable with their sexuality and the work is a gift to all persons.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Larger format - Intimate feel, December 25, 2005

By 

Dave Naz (Los Angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stripped Naked (Hardcover)

If you're a Peter Gorman fan, I recommend getting this book. I enjoyed his two previous books, but with this one you get a larger format and more intimate feel. The photos are candid and the girls are natural looking and not overly made up (which I very much like). From the cover shot it looks like it could be called "Messy Rooms"!