Forms of Desire (Paperback)

by Doris Kloster (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In the trend of S/M and fetishism in art that Doris Kloster helped popularize with her first self-titled book, Kloster remains the only prominent female photographer to do significant work. Now, with her new book Forms of Desire, Kloster transcends that genre and utilizes her unique position to examine a broader range of erotic expression, pointedly exploring female sexuality in all of its various guises.

With this collection of nudes and portraits, all shot on location, Kloster invites the viewer to experience the rich and varied sexuality of a multi-racial group of strong, adventurous women. The result is a nothing less than a compendium of female sexual expression, exploring different facets of women's sexual natures - from fetishism and role-playing to the use of toys and gender-bending.

As co-founder and editorial director of FAD magazine, Kloster has been walking the cultural edge for over ten years, photographing sex radicals and capturing women's sexual power with her lens. Forms of Desire is her most accomplished work to date; her strongest statement on sexuality, power, and gender. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher
"Beside Frulein Kloster, Madonna seems like the girl next door." -David Rimanelli, HARPER'S BAZAAR

"Kloster captures the kink, camp, and sensuality of the S/M scene in a way that would make Helmut Newton blush." --Nora Burns, PAPER magazine

"In FORMS OF DESIRE, Kloster refines her vision of the erotic and invites us to stroll through a gallery dedicated to female beauty and fantasy. Each photo is a little world which invites the viewer to enter and take (or receive) appropriate action." -Pat Califia, from the Foreword --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (November 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312263228
• ISBN-13: 978-0312263225
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,165,928 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed how I think about erotica!, January 9, 2003

By	WitchGrrl (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

My best friend gave me a copy of this book, and I thought, "Hmmm." I've never before found visual erotica that I truly enjoyed. As a kinky feminist, most of the naughty images I've been exposed to that turn me on sexually have also turned me off politically. Not true of this work! There are few artists in this world who aren't afraid to step outside the boundaries of the expected, and Kloster is one of them. It was lovely to encounter images of women of different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities in porn. It was even better to see work that doesn't use the same five shots over and over again. You know what I'm talking about, right? Open a man's porn magazine. We have the blond, large-chested, woman with a vapid smile on her face wearing a sexy outfit, then topless, then nude, then masturbating, then a close-up of the genitals. Boring! Kloster isn't afraid to be different, and it shows.
Always before with porn, I felt that the male gaze was part of the picture. It was as much a part of the creation of the image as the lighting or makeup, and I didn't like it. I've often had the feeling that women portrayed in erotica were putting on shows for men, rather than just enjoying themselves. It's something in their body language. A certain degree of self-consciousness, perhaps? For whatever reason, that phenomenon was missing from this artwork. The women seemed natural, comfortable, at ease, and it deeply enhanced my enjoyment of the work. (Maybe porn made by women really is different!)
I would also recommend this book as artwork, besides just being sexy. Kloster's sense of style and photographic composition is very much in evidence, and she's definitely avant-garde, willing to toy with our expectations.
I never knew that I could enjoy visual erotica. Now that I know that work this wonderful exists, I'm on a hunt for more!

5.0 out of 5 stars a truly great book by a wonderful artist, February 9, 2004

By	A. Dan "simoril" (israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Forms of Desire (Hardcover)

doris kloster's one of the most interesting personas and artist in the erotic photograpy fild, her on going dialog with porn, art and the femal body contininues in this book. it's very hard to explain a photo, but hers are cold, stylish inoveting and proffessional enough to be both highly artistic and very sexualy arousing as well.

the book itself showes a large number of very well printed black and white photos, with a beautiful cover, the images runs from very explicit nudes to insinuated sexual mathaphors, it's great both as a sex book and as an art book.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How to explore your desire, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Forms of Desire (Hardcover)

Kloster in "Forms of Desire" give us all the beauty and sensuality of Fetichism. Divided by themes, all different forms of love and sense are represented by situations where the woman is the focus. She uses black and white photos to increase our fantasy. All the forms of desire are allowed and Kloster show us a range of them bringing to the reader the choice.