Portraits

by Tracey Bashkoff (Photographer), Nancy Spector

New Lower Price Hiroshi Sugimoto here turns to the wax figures he first explored in his Dioramas series. Combining poetic imagination and noble elegance, this body of work presents life-size black-and-white portraits of historical figures--Henry VIII, each of his six wives and Oscar Wilde, among others--photographed in wax museums and dramatically lit so as to create haunting images. Featuring an interview with the artist by Tracey Bashkoff and essays by Carol Armstrong, Norman Bryson, Thomas Kellein and Nancy Spector, this book offers fresh insights into the work of this important contemporary artist. Portraits was created specially for the Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin and was exhibited at the former Guggenheim Soho.

Genres: Art, Photography

Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Fer Aportela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been a fan of wax figures in museums, but Hiroshi Sugimoto's vision through the camera is extraordinary. His mastery of light is astonishing, transforming wax sculptures into subjects that seem to possess a life of their own while making the photographs resemble classical paintings.

What impressed me most is how convincingly he creates the illusion of life. Faces, fabrics, and textures appear almost real, reminding us that photography is not merely about recording reality, but about shaping how we perceive it.

More than a collection of portraits, Portraits feels like a lesson in lighting. Every image demonstrates a deep understanding of how light can sculpt a face, create atmosphere, and evoke emotion. For anyone interested in portrait photography, this book is an invaluable visual guide to the power of light.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exploring the classics in photography; feast your eyes on these works of art; not all masterpieces but plenty to go around to get you inspired. Many of these collections are long out of print; check out the Internet Archive (https://archive.org); many of the timeless classics are made freely available or after signing up, free to (digitally) borrow.