Sex / Erotic art books

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Not so much looking for suggestion of text book (one can start another topic for it if wants), but suggestions of books that focus on nude-art, sex, pornography. But with some kind of elegancy to it. Like "best of private" by taschen = ok, Private's own year books that's hardly an "artbook", just porn mag in hardcover...

Lets start...

Secret Art of An English Gentleman / Tom Poulton
Taschen

Thomas Leycester Poulton was an English magazine and medical book illustrator, born in 1897. Upon his death in 1963 it was discovered he was also a prolific and imaginative erotic artist who produced hundreds of sketches and finished drawings of women proudly and exuberantly displaying themselves in ways shocking to conservative post-war Britain. Once one gets past the shock value it becomes clear that Poulton's greatest talent was in portraying the human body in the sexual act, and since he did it with such rare insight many have argued he must have actually witnessed the orgies he put on paper. His ties to certain players in the 1963 Profumo scandal, breaking at the time of his death, hint that he may, in fact, have been the in-house artist at the parties that rocked the British Parliament. Poulton's archive remained hidden from public view until the late 90s, when it turned up among the artifacts of an aging professional yachtsman who was dispersing his vast collection of erotica. Though Tom Poulton's work tells us much about English society between 1948 and 1963, there is a universal quality to these images of joyous, uninhibited sexuality that transcends time and place.

This 2006 release includes most of all soft graphite pencil drawings on yellowish soft paper. Some images are utterly perfect in their technical excellency (one could compare pencil works of Tom of Finland), many remain half finished sketches. It's man-woman, or woman-woman type of stuff, but with full on juicy sex settings, complete with cum spatters and wide open cunts.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

RUSSIAN BEAUTIES 1 + 2
Edition Reuss

The first collection of photographs by Alex Truew, this book is a romantic tribute to the beauty and innocence of youth. Even today, Russia is still a boundless, untamed country composed of many different peoples, a country offering richly varied types of women with features ranging from European to Asian. This mixture often creates fascinating, exotic beauties that fire the enthusiasm of more than Russian photographers. The collection contains remarkably intimate, sensitive portraits of Russian girls against backgrounds that are typical of their homeland -- in countryside or village settings, or nude in the snow. Hardcover w/jacket, color. Text in English, German & French.

Both issues have the same style. Hardcover B5 page size, all full color, one image per page. Not so much "artistic" in photographic qualities. Just bright and clear color images of very natural and nude Russian girls from 18 to 25 or such posing outdoors. Each girl gets about 10 pages/pictures. No vulgar cunt stretching, more like nudist images. One could compare with something like David Hamilton - what comes to body type and naturality of models - yet without the dreamy and blurry artistic touch. He may appear to want give occasional artistic touch with settings, yet photos are just snapshots of actual moment - no extra touch of visual creativity.

To look at untainted "girl next door", good books. Yet hardly to be rated among high end of the photographic art.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER by Jock Sturges
Aperture



Very first of the Jock Sturges books, but since 1991 remains in print. Easily available, exists in few languages. I have German and English versions.  "Notes" (2004) was first book I personally found from him. I did end up swiftly collecting all what was available for somewhat reasonable price. Luckily it is pretty much majority of his works. Finland isn't exactly known for great supply of artbooks - especially not for photography, and when you can't find stuff by browsing shelves, you need to know what kind of titles you're looking for.
One would expect Sturges to be known for many. If not because of his high profile as amazing photographer, maybe the scandal of FBI raiding his offices. This case connected the early 90's controversy in general - where artists as Sally Mann and Mapplethorpe got same treatment.

Jock Sturges (born 1947) is an American photographer, best known for his images of nude adolescents and their families, primarily taken at communes in Northern California and at the Atlantic-coast naturist resort at Montalivet, France. His work has been the subject of controversy. Much of his work features Californian Misty Dawn, whom he shot from when she was a young child until in her twenties. In 1990, his San Francisco studio was raided by FBI officers and his equipment seized. A Grand Jury subsequently declined to bring an indictment against him.
Sturges graduated with a BFA in Perceptual Psychology and Photography from Marlboro College and received an MFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. He primarily works with a large 8x10-inch-format view camera.

Last day of Summer being his first book, obviously covers his old masterworks with large format camera. Unfortunately later days he has moved into digital works. There is quite ok'ish documentary done about him by smaller german photo-documentary company back in 2007. Ordered it from them back then, not sure if still available. Quality something you expect to see from regular TV channel, rather than "collectors dvd"? Certainly far behind Mann document for example.



You can start basically from any Sturges book. All are good.

[Andrew McIntosh]

I found this second hand in a Melbourne book shop.

http://www.amazon.com/Erotic-art-masters-centuries-Gemini-Smith/dp/0818401745

S&m art seems more interesting to me than "erotic" art, mainly because it calls for a bit more imagination. I, for one, would appreciate a few suggestions.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I've talked before about Princess of Desire book by Ken-Ichi Murata. It's better of the two books, but still while ago decided to purchase also his NAKED PRINCESS.
I had not heard about whole artists few years ago, when I accidentally found german publishers hardcover in Estonian bookstore while visiting there. Now I contacted directly publisher which may be easiest way to get Edition Reuss books. At least over here, no distribution for that company at all.



You can see Trevor Brown's site with samples and some information:
http://www.pileup.com/babyart/blog/index.php?s=ken-ichi

Japanese bondage with innovations, hand tinted b/w photographs and no cencorship!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

LUST AND PAIN by Guy Lemaire
Edition Reuss



This is another bondage title by Edition Reuss. If you'd think lets try Philippe Fichot and perhaps even Joel Peter Witkin, but reduce this a bit to regular bondage settings... maybe you get hint of Guy Lemaire's works. This book is 11" x 11" size, hardcover, hundreds of pages. One image per page. Some great images, and "extremes" a'la urination, mild cutting, but most of all rope bondage & suspension etc. All images are treated with effects - at best it appears to be old school image scratching & mutilation, yet then you get the feeling there must be some sort of multi-layering or photoshopping involved, since magnificent results of the outstanding images are just that - and the regular images fall behind in level of technical craftmanship and settings. Yet in times when hardcore s/m B/W photobooks ain't really THAT popular, I must show my support for it!

These sado-masochistic pictures by Belgian photographer Guy Lemaire transport us into another, highly erotic dimension of lust: Look at me. I am your divine slave. I am the nude virgin. I am the sin of pain. Baptise me with this tenderness that you engrave upon my skin, with these thousand needles that pierce my flesh. You look at me, you implore me. I know that now the point of my heel will crush your flesh until tears of gratitude gush forth. We know that the songs of leather play at the end of our straps. Text in English, German, French & Italian

[FreakAnimalFinland]

THE EROTIC DIARY OF LYNN W.
Edition Reuss



Nice hardcover book in B5 size. Almost completely b/w, with neat angles and close-ups, even to macro level. It's straight forward porn basically, with full on penetrations, urination, oral, cfnm, handjobs etc etc.. It's photographer Ben Walker and his wife basically, but the style has more in common with art, than cheapest porn mag style.

Same could be said about another Edition Reuss title
LOVE SEX by Gordon Denman



Black & white photos makes such a difference - and so does the tasty dramatic lighting and being able to frame the image with artistic eye. Denman has lots of books, also more on this same publisher. It's very hard to find example images what do justice for these books mentioned here. They are much better than you can assume by seeing cover of couple lousy sample images online... Not to mention the uninspiring titles of books!

[Black_Angkar]

LUST AND PAIN by Guy Lemaire
Edition Reuss


This is another bondage title by Edition Reuss. If you'd think lets try Philippe Fichot and perhaps even Joel Peter Witkin, but reduce this a bit to regular bondage settings... maybe you get hint of Guy Lemaire's works. This book is 11" x 11" size, hardcover, hundreds of pages. One image per page. Some great images, and "extremes" a'la urination, mild cutting, but most of all rope bondage & suspension etc. All images are treated with effects - at best it appears to be old school image scratching & mutilation, yet then you get the feeling there must be some sort of multi-layering or photoshopping involved, since magnificent results of the outstanding images are just that - and the regular images fall behind in level of technical craftmanship and settings. Yet in times when hardcore s/m B/W photobooks ain't really THAT popular, I must show my support for it!

I found one of his books in a second hand bookstore in Gothenburg, and I remember thinking it was quite nice but the price was very high and I just couldn't motivate buying it. Now I've checked this MUCH MORE affordable one out and I think I'll get it. Thanks for the recommendation. Only one question. Is it a retrospective or a specific project book, are there only photos or other illustrations as well(seeing he also paints/draws/scribbles)?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

This book is only photography. All in similar atmosphere, but of course target or settings vary. There are few pages of leather fags, but mostly single persons and even more so females.

[Black_Angkar]

This book is only photography. All in similar atmosphere, but of course target or settings vary. There are few pages of leather fags, but mostly single persons and even more so females.

Ok,decided to order it either way. The samples I saw fit my aesthetical tastes, thank you for the info.

[silken tofu]

i quite liked natacha merritt's first book 'digital diaries'

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Like Digital Diaries name suggests, it's basically sex blog reprinted to book, therefore the picture quality and "ideas" are limited to this woman taking self portraits with small digital camera. At least what I can remember. I can't find the book now from shelves, could be there since I don't remember selling it away...  In terms of amateur sex activities, ok, as "art book", not so much.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

revenge
by: ellen von unwerth
(published by Twin Palms)



Very neat book, with hard fabric surfaced cover with silver text & small round image glued in front. This is the kind of thing I hope artbooks would more often look like. Not the crappy full color covers looking like cheap magazines.





Basically you can think of elegancy of black & white fashion photography and put that in context of neat looking fetish photography. She is famous. Works with the likes of Claudia Schiffer and for all the highest profile magazines around the world. But, despite all that - OR should I say BECAUSE of that, there is level of imagination, taste and composition beyond the usual books.

Probably her book "Fräulein" on Taschen is more famous, but especially the big version is pricey as fuck. If you're into grainy images with corsets, high heels, "damsels in distress", submission play rather than anything ultra sadistic, could be worth of your time.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Orgasm, by Tony Ward
Last Gasp

Best of Erotica, by Tony Ward
6x6

Tony Ward's work has been published in all the major photography magazines, including Life, Penthouse, and American Photo - says some description. One could summarize these books: black & white hard grain. That's what you get, often exaggerated levels. He has good eye for picture composition and good ideas - not to mention despite very dull book titles, you can expect occasional extreme surprises too...  Cumshots, rimming, pissing, deformed slaves,...  That's most of all "Orgasm" book content. The best of Erotica is much more thicker book, yet includes also some color photos and content is overall toned down.

Obviously world famous works many may have seen, even if they don't recognize the name. 

Some goodies of "Orgasm".

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Like Digital Diaries name suggests, it's basically sex blog reprinted to book, therefore the picture quality and "ideas" are limited to this woman taking self portraits with small digital camera. At least what I can remember. I can't find the book now from shelves, could be there since I don't remember selling it away...  In terms of amateur sex activities, ok, as "art book", not so much.

Found the book from shelves... Yeah, like I remembered, I do like the POV type of stuff, nice female sucking cock etc. But the horrid content of 72dpi pixelated low resolution images (luckily book is not all about that) represent the kind of modern photography I simply can't stand at all.

probably talked in other forums sometime, since I recall recommending somewhere, but can't find in this forum:

Irina Ionesco "R" and "Eva" books
Pan-Exotica

"R":




Eva book is obviously focusing on Irina's daughter, but also "R" has plenty of that, yet also other models. And while the decadent elegancy is present also in the full color works of "R", without doubt, Ionesco gained worldwide fame thanks to her work with Eva. That book with bigger page size and exclusively b/w photography makes it superior. It seems like the books are getting pretty high priced already. Perhaps going straight to source could still result tolerable price, but Amazon and especially rare book dealers might be asking few hundreds, if not more.