Barely Exposed: How Do You See Your World?

by Latana, Alison Cook-Sather (Preface)

The subjects of Barely Exposed were asked, "How do you see your world?" The book offers a subtle yet probing answer in visual likenesses of contemporary young people; impressions of their budding lives in their own words; visions of what they imagine, fear, and hope the world might be for them. Each image captures its subject in a single, embodied moment, and each accompanying statement reveals how that person chose to define him or herself in the world. Latana photographed the young people half dressed against a black background, removing parts of their clothing or exterior, in order to reveal their essences. When that approach was not possible, she focused on the intimacy of their eyes. The result is a powerful, multifaceted portrait of the state of the world today — and of those who will leave their mark on it.

133 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The expression that "a picture is worth a thousand words" was never truer than in the artistic black and white photos of sixty young adults from around the world found in "barely exposed" by latana. And, lest one think that today's youth aren't in tune with what is happening in the world around them, each photo is accompanied by each individual's answer to the question, "How do you see your world?" I have had several surprisingly deep discussions recently with my 23 year old niece, a recent college graduate. The fact that she is so deftly able to articulate her struggle to find her place in the world and to make a difference, only reinforces the themes of "barely exposed." The photos and quotes are worth more words that one could count.

The teens found on these pages open their minds and bodies up to latana. The photographer sought to get to the core of each individual by taking many black and white photos of each young person. Ultimately, the subjects of the book chose both the photo and quote that were to be included in the book. Here we see the raw truth of each individual's existence in a world in which they struggle to find their place. Much wisdom and insight is found to be on each page.

Because of the near naked photos of some subjects, there may be some objection in terms of school libraries. However, simply as art, this wonderful book deserves a place in all high school and school libraries. However, there is much more to be found here. "barely exposed" by latana is highly recommended!

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This photo album of black and white images of young people, most of them only partially dressed, is noteworthy for the black background that is the setting for nearly every photograph and text, for the brief comments by the people photographed, some of which are very optimistic and some equally pessimistic, and for the depiction of the comment in the person's native language. About a dozen of the photos are of young people fully dressed, but more than fifty of the male and female subjects, all between the ages of 17 and 21, are topless. I'm not sure why unless it was done to reflect the title of the book. Close-ups of the faces would probably have had more impact.