Stripped Naked [Hardcover]

This is New York photographer Peter Gorman's third book. Just as Naked Rooms was a radically different project from his first book, Naked In Apartment 7, this new work is another departure for him. But this time the results are more mature in their result and set Gorman on an even higher artistic plain. Gone are the highly stylized setups that characterized his first book, and the fluid, documentary style that distinguished his second book is no longer in force here. What we have is a more stable body of work from an artist who appears to possess a stronger sense of himself, and who harnesses a greater command of his craft. Gorman admits to shooting more "from the hip" these days, and all this work was shot in the unknown terrain of his female subjects' own homes, where the lighting conditions were completely unpredictable. But the results are extraordinary, and are laced with a sense of precision not see in his previous works. The lighting, the surroundings, the girls themselves, all flow into a unified and potent ensemble of pictures that are distinctly erotic. These are not just nude portraits of attractive and interesting women - much of this work is blatantly erotic and the subjects all strut their stuff with ostentatious and confident abandon. These are sexual beings that are obviously quite comfortable sharing this aspect of themselves with Gorman. As Reed Massengill notes in the forward - this book is about art .. but it's also about titillation.

This book is about one of the most beautiful subjects for a photography essay - pretty naked young women. Gorman's work is very natural as all of the women were photographed in their own homes where they could feel the most relaxed and comfortable. Another plus for the work is that the women are not professional models. They are all comfortable with their sexuality and the work is a gift to all persons.

If you're a Peter Gorman fan, I recommend getting this book. I enjoyed his two previous books, but with this one you get a larger format and more intimate feel. The photos are candid and the girls are natural looking and not overly made up (which I very much like). From the cover shot it looks like it could be called "Messy Rooms"!