This is the guy, everybody knows. Or should know. If they think they don't, seeing few photos will make them realize they have seen his work somewhere. Including the album covers of various bands.
What could be said about Witkin anymore, what haven't been said? Perhaps nothing, but have to open the topic just for sake if there is someone who haven't yet exposed himself for great art.
I was just re-reading SWITCH magazine from Japan. Bought it from Timeless distribution while ago, and this issue is Witkin special. It has plenty of photos, with good liner notes. While his work is indeed on edge of offensive, it shows that there is always idea, always meaning. It's not just bodyparts, corpses, retards, s/m, freaks, etc. to shock you. This magazine is good, when some of the well known photos are exposed. Stories told what is behind the photos. Masked man in CBT scene, with rope tied around his balls, rope going through loop in ceiling and heavy weights that stretch the testicles are place just above the face. Weights attached, will torture and stretch the balls, yet if they'd slip, weights would fall on his face and possibly kill him. This was the fantasy of some homosexual, captured on perfect image. There are mental patients dressed as strange costumes. There is one infamous photos of fat man corpse, sitting on chair, without head. Head/brain donated to medical science, while body, was donated to Witkin for 1 day to be used, before buried to unmarked grave. Headless corpse sitting in chair, in shitty room, symbolizing utmost solitude. Perhaps even as deadman, there was nothing to be known of the subject. Than his anonymous corpse to be used for art & science until discarded without even tombstone remembering who he was. List would be endless. Every image carries story. Every image seems like long process of search/friendship/ideas/preparations and most of all the visual elements are always phenomenal. Hand made. Film. Manual adjusting. Scratching negatives with razors and so on. No computer edits. When you see this mans visions, you start to understand where A LOT of current subcultural and even mainstream things have gotten some influences?
for more samples, just google images of Witkin and you get endless amount of them.
Book recommendations could be for example:
cheap -> Thames & Hudson Photofile series. c. 60 works, price around 10,-
pricey -> THE BONE HOUSE -hardcover in slipcase. According to Amazon sales, current prices for 1st edition seems to start from 80$ used, 250$ new. 2nd edition for 40$ upwards. 2nd edition probably still available in selected specialist shops around the world, but it's already 10 years old too.
