The Spirit of Lady Godiva is the creation of a photographer who, like Prince, Madonna, et al, goes by the single name of Harvey. Quite simply, he's a guerrilla photographer. He studies the scene, instructs his models, and moves in to get the shot. Why do I say guerrilla? Well, he inserts nude people into unlikely locales, like street corners, outdoor malls, and cafes--that sort of thing.
What makes The Spirit of Lady Godiva different than most shots of nudes is that, unlike Spencer Tunick--who populates his shots with nothing but nudes--Harvey puts his nudes among clothed people in everyday settings. And, because he does this, it looks as though the nudes belong there--sort of in an alternate universe--where clothed and nude people can exist side-by-side.
Some of the plates are amazing. You wonder how he managed to pull it off. One of my favorites is one Harvey calls where's Nudo? In it, he's interspersed six different nude people in the crowd at an art fair packed with people--outstanding! Harvey has taken his photos in Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana; Albuquerque, new Mexico; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Madison, Wisconsin; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Austin, Texas.
My only quibble bout Harvey's work is because of his shooting style--stop, drop, and shoot. He has his models get ready, whip off their clothes, and then he shoots. In some shots, when the model is in a particularly busy or vulnerable location, you can see his or her clothes lying at his or her feet. I feel that this causes the shot to lose its natural "feel." This isn't evident in all of them, thankfully.
I highly recommend The Spirit of Lady Godiva. It's one of those great coffee table art books that's also a great conversation starter. It's chock full of 127 plates (and one bonus plate for the limited edition). As you look at the photos, and read Harvey's sometimes tongue-in-cheek comments, you'll wonder why our country's cities and towns have so little room for the occasional nude body, since they seem to fit in so well.
