Jock Sturges: Notes

Rating:
Summary: Behind the Scenes
Review: For the first time in a book, Jock gives an in depth behind the scenes look at how he performs his work. Included are notes from several of the models/Naturists talking about their experience as his models, including Misty Dawn. The color polaroids in the book present the human side of the characteristic Sturges photos which, while stunning, can be a bit stark.

I also recommend that fans of his work view the Naturist DVDs Amazon has like: "Castle Naturism" and "4th of July". These types of works may not be possible in the future. Camera equipment is no longer allowed on the beaches in Montalivet, the Southern French town in which Sturges photographs.

Rating:
Summary: great background, some newer works
Review: For those who are simply wanting a collection of large Sturges photographs, this will not fill the bill. For those who are interested in Jock Sturges, the person, and some background on his models this is the one to get. You get some background into his process and how he goes about his work. There is a collection of Polaroid shots he uses in formulating his approach to the picture. You are then treated to a wonderful selection of B&W images, most taken in 2003 with a few from 2000 and 2001. Several of the pictures have comments by the model. For several of his models, there is an update of their lives as they were photographed as they grew older. There is reference to the sheer work involved in processing and printing his photographs, but I felt it was greatly understated; dealing with an 8 x 10 negative format camera and film is not a trivial task, but the results are fantastic. Nor is getting the lighting just right on the beaches easy, but the use of light and shadow in his prints shows he makes it look easy. The latter part of the book touches upon his newer work in fashion photography. Misty Dawn nee Johnson has quite a few pages to express her thoughts on her long association with Jock. The dimensions of the book are not large, but it is put out by Aperture, which stands for high quality in printing works of photography.

Rating:
Summary: 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication'...da Vinci
Review: Photographer Jock Sturges and publishing house/gallery Aperture have collaborated again [The Last Day of Summer 1993, Radiant Identities 1995] to bring us this fabulous new book 'Notes'. Here, as with the previous titles, Sturges' work is beautifully reproduced, 50 single black and white page, one single colour page, the cover photograph and numerous other colour polaroid and digital images scattered throughout the book. But for the first time in addition to the work we are given a glimpse, through statements and comments made by Jock and his subjects, into the working process and to the effect that being photographed by Jock has on the people that appear in his work. These commentaries are rich and rewarding. They open the door a little wider and more light comes flooding out. I have been collecting Jock's photographs and books for over a decade but I think that this book brings me closer to the experience of 'being there' than any of the other, Aperture, Scalo or Gakken titles. Except for one beautiful image of Celie from 1999 all of the work represented in this volume covers the period 2000-2003. Other 'fans' and collectors might be disappointed to find that there are only three images of Misty Dawn and only one of Fanny. Perhaps with the publication of this book Sturges and Aperture are marking the start of a new chapter in the development of the photographers' career. The reproductions themselves are richer and closer to the luxurient tones of the original prints. The binding is very nice too, no dust sleeve just a print directly onto the hard cover. The technicians and printers at Aperture have done a really good job.
Jock's world is the world of the naturist, those people who feel relaxed and comfortable being naked in situations where other people might feel shy or embarressed. Michelangelo wrote 'What spirit is so empty and blind that it cannot recognise the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe and the skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed.' Jock Sturges seems to be dedicating his life to proving this point and I think that he succeeds, radiantly. The people in his pictures are truely full of grace. And his pictures are a testament to their pure, calm, accepting way of life. These photographs are life affirming images created with love, affection and respect. They prove that Leonardo Da Vinci was right when he said that 'simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.'

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Digression
Review: This book is quite different from any book of Sturges' I've seen before. At first the main thing to notice is that it is smaller in size and shorter on complete images. But it seems that Sturges is trying to create a more intimate feel in this book and, in that, he succeeds. Because his purpose in this book is more than presenting his photographs.

The title of this book is Notes for a reason. In it, we find considerably more text than we usually do in a Sturges book and it is not confined to forewords and afterwards. There are, in fact, "notes" interspersed throughout the photographs. Many of the notes are by Sturges himself though there are a number by his models. The point of these (as well as a number of Polaroid photos) is to give us some insight into how Sturges works, how he develops his concepts and final images. And they do do that to some extent though, if the truth be told, the workings of composing a beautiful portrait remains a mystery. Still, it's an interesting attempt.

On the other hand, I found the notes by the models quite interesting. Many of the models have worked with Sturges for over 20 years and have grown up with him as part of their lives. The word "family" is used a number of times. This may or may not be true but it is intriguing to hear the different voices of the models in their prose. When they talk about the photos in which they appear, it often gives the impression of those photos speaking in a new voice. It gives these portraits a different flavor.

But I am ignoring the fact that this book is also, if not mainly, a book of photography. To be honest, I would have bought this book for the photo on the cover alone. Fortunately, there is more of Sturges' wonderful portrait work on the inside. His themes and the beauty of his work continue to interest me. I have been a fan of Sturges' work for nearly 20 years now and this book is a wonderful digression, especially for fans. I wouldn't send a newcomer to this book first, but it certainly has its place in Sturges' body of work.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST Sturges Book Yet
Review: This is by far, the best Jock Sturges book to date. He once again has joined up with the Aperture Foundation for another monograph experience. But this book is a little bit different. Rather than a forward, followed by roughly seventy photographs, like his older titles, we look into the making of these photos. Which to me was an experience in itself.
For the first part of this book, we get the start of what turns out to be a short autobiography of Sturges, that appears randomly through the book. And then we get several polaroids and low megapixil camera images of many models we have grown to love. As you look at these very unprofessional images, burn them into your head and remember what they look like, because you will be seeing very professional images much like them later in the book.
The Second half of the book is a normal collection of photos that we see in all of Sturges' books. The beautiful duotone images of the naturist communities of France and California. It is here that you will start to see images you think you've seen before, but don't know where. Then you turn to the first part again, and realize that all the random polaroid snapshots have been turned into beautiful large format images. This is what is amazing. Sturges doesn't shoot large format like crazy. He shoots poloroids like crazy, and collects them all summer. Towards the end of the summer, she goes through them, and finds "accidental" poses and turns them into real art. Amazing.
Part Three of the book is a lot of commentary from the models themselves, even the loved Misty-Dawn Johnson. It is here that we get their view of Sturges and his works, and what they think of modeling with them and how it was growing up through the lens of his camera.
This book is incredible, and any fan of Sturges' works need to pick this up. Not since Ansel Adams' "The Making of Photographs" have we gotten a look into a masters eye like this. Again, only one word is needed. Amazing.