Kern Noir: Photographs by Richard Kern

Rating:
Summary: The Light of Kern
Review: As a young man I have been searching for the perfect woman and theres no such thing. But Kern captures both a meaningful persona and porcelain like femininate in his photography. And this book delivers all expected from Kern and more, its better than New York Girls and thats hard to do. This book deseves to be on even the Queen of Englands coffe table but I for one will keep it hidden away as a unsering boy may hide his chocolete easter eggs from his anoying sister. (ABLOL)

Rating:
Summary: The Light of Kern
Review: As a young man I have been searching for the perfect woman and theres no such thing. But Kern captures both a meaningful persona and porcelain like femininate in his photography. And this book delivers all expected from Kern and more, its better than New York Girls and thats hard to do. This book deseves to be on even the Queen of Englands coffe table but I for one will keep it hidden away as a unsering boy may hide his chocolete easter eggs from his anoying sister. (ABLOL)

Rating:
Summary: Maybem, just be careful
Review: Might be worth the price as long as you don't get it from used Marketplace seller, MORCAP, this person is a cheat, will take your money and not deliver the product

Rating:
Summary: Noir? Perhaps in that it is all black and white. . .
Review: Richard Kern here has presented a fine collection of photographs. Though his style, at least in this presentation, seems to be mostly snap shots of ameture models; there are some nice shots none the less.

Rating:
Summary: Black, White, and Noir
Review: This volume could also be called 'The Best of Richard Kern' as it presents a review of his work ranging from 1976 to 2001. Covering a wide range, we find bondage shots and girls with guns, as well as girls in the bedroom, bathroom and other scenarios, presenting an overview of Kern's interests and low-key fetish work.

Perhaps the strongest pictures are the close-up portrait shots, where the models reciprocate your gaze, as though daring you to enter their slightly dark and edgy world. In one shot, a small lizard crawls over a model's face, in the stark monochrome looking almost like a tribal tattoo. Most striking is the picture from 1993, simply titled 'Monica with Candle'. The model tilts her head backward and a lighted candle protrudes upright from her mouth. A very arresting picture the first time you see it (why that was not used on the cover is a mystery. Too provocative maybe?) Certainly a deeply erotic image.

Like all the best books of photography, this one starts well and gets better the more you look into it. A good one to keep on the bookshelf and delve into from time to time, and well worth buying.