Misty Dawn: Portrait of a Muse

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Seller's description:
Over the course of his career, Jock Sturges' long-term engagement with his subjects has been a cornerstone of his work. Misty Dawn, one of his primary and most popular muses, is one such subject; he has photographed her for 25 of her 28 years. Lithe, beautiful, classically proportioned, she is the personification of Sturges' philosophy of being at home in one's body. This volume follows her growth from a shy, tomboyish child to a gorgeous, confident young woman. Taken as a whole, this series of images presents a unique, fully realized portrait of a blossoming individual and explores a rare and beautiful relationship between photographer and subject. Misty Dawn: Portrait of a Muse presents iconic images as well as previously unpublished material, mined from Sturges' older contact sheets and newest work. Jock Sturges, born in New York in 1947, received a B.A. in perceptual psychology and photography from Marlboro College in Vermont in 1974 and an M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1985. He has exhibited internationally, and his photographs are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. His previous Aperture books include Notes, The Last Day of Summer and Radiant Identities.

Features:

• ISBN13: 9781597110747
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product details:

Item number (ASIN): 1597110744
Creator: Jock Sturges, Photographer
Dewey Decimal Number: 778
Edition: First Edition
ISBN: 1597110744
Manufacturer: Aperture
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 168
Package Dimensions: 79 x 1031 x 1126 (hundredths-inches)
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Publisher: Aperture
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Binding: Hardcover

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Rating: - Worth Adding to Your Collection
I should begin by saying I'm a fan of most of Jock Sturges' work. Some of his black and white pictures are just terrific, while others I don't quite get and his color work leaves me pretty cold. But when the day comes I can afford to purchase original photographs from any photographer, I intend to purchase several from Jock Sturges. If you, too, are a Jock Sturges fan, you'll probably agree his choice of Misty Dawn as a subject was extremely wise. The good news is now you can have just about every picture of her he made in one book. I say "just about" because there is one picture I just love that he (or the editor) left out. (For that I deleted half a star.) The further good news is the book is printed to Aperture's high standard of quality (although one horizontal picture is printed on the page vertically, which looks like a mistake). The bad news is the first half of the book works far, far better than the second half. The pictures are in chronological order (or at least appear to be) and for me, once Misty is married and posing with her husband, it's not so interesting any longer. He keeps revisiting the location with the window and shooting an updated version of the first picture. I have no interest in these only because I never quite understood the first version. (Second half of a star deleted.) But the first half is great, for the most part. He has some terrific portaits. He has some lousy ones, too. But there are plenty other wonderful ones to make up for them. Bottom line is: this book is worth adding to your collection.

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Rating: - Monumental!
Some of the images are breathtakingly beautiful and the quality of the reproductions and binding is excellent. I don't know of anything like this monumental work in the history of art or photography. It deserves to become a landmark and model for future photographers. The model was a blue-eyed, blond-haired child who often appears magical. Although most famous for the nude portraits, some of the best are when her body is covered. The poses tend to be static, conveying a feeling of summer fatigue or a quiet rather than active child. I don't like the distorted perspective (elongated limbs and even enlarged facial features) in a few of the portraits, but many observers may not mind or even like that effect (apparently due to using a normal lens on a big camera close-up). Nudity is a celebration of the whole body, and why not celebrate its growth and transformations in youth? The male has more external features to see, but the sudden appearance and relatively fast development of the female breast is a remarkable event to contemplate and witness. Now an adult, the model should write an autobiography describing her thoughts and experiences posing nude throughout her childhood. I think the information might be of even more value than the images. (The brief interview of Sally Mann's daughter and child model, Jessie, published in Aperture magazine was a step in that direction.) I also recommend the photographer's previous books, which contain more text. A traditional mother recently told me that her two children used to look through the keyhole of the bathroom door to get a glimpse of each other naked. That may be (statistically) normal, but is it healthy? A naturist child like Misty Dawn would probably consider such behavior very strange if not ridiculous. Prohibitions against nudity in childhood promote rather than prevent sexual problems. How fortunate we are to live in the West where we can enjoy books like this (despite the efforts of religious fanatics and other advocates of moral panic and mass hysteria who want to bring back the Inquisition) - thanks, in part, to the legal battles Jock Sturges has fought for all of us.

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Rating: - Jock Sturges
Oh, here is a very sesitive portrait of an very special muse...don't miss this! The pix is so full of love....

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Rating: - An Honest Appraisal of "Misty Dawn"
I have structured my response in the most honest way I possibly can - not concerning myself with what the left or the right thinks, the religious or the non-religious would have us believe, or what many of those in the "justice" system would seek to pervert and crucify for. I have found that the more I study Jock's images of young girls, several things start to become apparent to me. First, by the mere presentation of these adolescents in predominately B&W format, and obviously not posed in some provocative fashion, immediately dismisses them from being pornographic in any way whatsoever. Any person of reason would have to readily admit that. His images force us to become comfortable in our own skin. Some of the images can be erotic initially, (and I suppose to a certain element, very erotic) but only because of the culture in which we Americans were raised - that all people nude are perversions, and it is taboo for us to view them. But we all know that anything "taboo," or "off-limits" will only spark interest, not denial! Little time passes before any initial reactions wear off however, and we begin to see inside these creatures - their innocence, their purity, their shining spirits - not yet tainted by the outside world and all of it's inequities and cancers. I think that a review by "People Magazine" says it best: "...Sturges's people are grave, well-formed, and poetic. Best to think of his world as an inviting fiction: one photographer's Eden, where a little knowledge doesn't get you expelled from the garden[!]" I sense that Jock's work gives us just a splinter of insight into the world that God intended ours to be... beautiful, peaceful, graceful, innocent, respectful, loving, forgiving, sensual, lasting, one of pure light. If I were a female - like Misty Dawn - for example, I am quite sure that I would be most thankful and proud to be able to present such a wonderful chronicle of my life, and representation of my infinity, to my children one day, and to theirs, and on and on. What a beautiful, and priceless gift to be able to pass on. And, what a beautiful expose for the rest of us to enjoy along with her!

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Rating: - Professional still lifes
Originally assumed Sturges would be a bit of a pedophile, but none of this work (or his others) are obviously erotic. Rather these are family pictures, of gentle, casual nudity, just as so many great photogs did casual pictures of people in everyday life. Yes, the jaded can insert eroticism, but I found the pictures to be friendly, as I would approve (with care and caution) for my own daughters and sons. Sturges admits to a factor of eros, but that exists in mainstream magazines, films, etc., to a much greater extent because they are intentionally sexy, and try hard to become borderline porno. In Sturges' work I found no porn, no sexiness, no commercial push, just a pleasing image, as one would find a great artwork, a landscape, a fine wine. The beauty of young women, and I admit I'm smitten with Misty Dawn, is timeless, clothed or not. Along with Hamilton, I find Sturges' work calming, a reminder that there really is beauty in the world, not just the everyday ugliness (like Hollywood glamour). Real people, real beauty, real world. If you aren't comfortable with honest nudity, don't buy this art. I'm a man, and not at all ashamed of appreciating the opposite sex, as I have discovered they appreciate men and boys. Sex isn't dirty, and doesn't need to be pornographic to be enjoyed. Put in its proper place(thanks mom and dad), such as art, it can simply be appreciated for what it is. I like portraits, whether face or full body or in between, and these portraits are lovely. If your friends aren't dirty-minded, this is one of an assortment of great coffee table books.

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