Book picks similar to
Torture Garden by David Wood


photography
fetish
sexuality
photobooks

Nan Goldin


Guido Costa - 2001
    She is most famous for the long-term photographic record of the lives of her and her friends, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. She calls this "the diary I let people read." Her work comments frankly on all aspects of the lives of her immediate circle, the main themes being relationships, sexuality, eroticism, and the problems of alcohol and drug addiction. More recently, her images have shown the devastating effect AIDS has had on this community of friends. Her work is by turns disturbing, poignant, and celebratory.

The Boudoir Bible: The Uninhibited Sex Guide for Today


Betony Vernon - 2013
    Since the publication of The Joy of Sex in 1972, the sexual landscape’s boundaries have been expanded to include a host of practices that are unthinkable in that classic tome. Although it also covers the basics, The Boudoir Bible fills those niches missing from other sex guides nicely, with full, elaborated chapters on rope bondage, restraints of sound and sight, erotic flagellation, and the stimulation of new erogenous zones, among innumerable other offerings. Well-researched, The Boudoir Bible is written from a joyful, sex-positive point of view. Going beyond the "lovemaking" of older guides, this witty and uninhibited tome expands the sexual act to encompass "verboten" topics, with chapters entitled "The Genital Gym," "Nipple Tease," "Male Ejaculation Control," and "The Anthems of Anal Sex." Illustrated by the renowned artist François Berthoud, whose provocative creations have graced both Prada campaigns and museum exhibitions, The Boudoir Bible provides a fresh view of sexuality in the twenty-first century.

25,000 Years of Erotic Freedom


Alan Moore - 2009
    Today, porn is everywhere, but where is it art? 25,000 Years of Erotic Freedom surveys the history of pornography and argues that the success and vibrancy of a society relates to its permissiveness in sexual matters.This history of erotic art brings together some of the most provocative illustrations ever published, showcasing the evolution of pornography over diverse cultures from prehistoric to modern times. Beginning with the Venus of Willendorf, created between 24,000-22,000 bce, and book-ended by contemporary photography, it also contains a timeline covering major erotic works in several cultures. 25,000 Years of Erotic Freedom ably captures the ancient and insuppressible creative drive of the sexual spirit, making this book a treatise on erotic art.

The Dresden Dolls Companion


Amanda Palmer - 2006
    This Boston-based alternative pop/German-like cabaret duo hand-designed this book which includes art, photos, commentary and 11 songs from their 2004 release. Songs included are: Bad Habit * Coin Operated Boy * Girl Anachronism * Good Day * Gravity * Half Jack * The Jeep Song * Missed Me *Perfect Fit * Slide * Truce.

Richard Avedon Portraits


Richard Avedon - 1976
    This elegant coffee-table book includes classic Avedon studies of Marilyn Monroe and Truman Capote, as well as portraits of political and intellectual figures. The reproductions are superb.

Neü Sex


Sasha Grey - 2010
    “When I first got into the adult industry, I decided to take my photography much more seriously. I started taking a camera with me to capture my experiences on set, so it was a moment in time, a memory for myself—not the video that would be seen by thousands of people. On days where I was physically unable to capture an image, Ian, my fiancé, became my third arm. He understands my aesthetic, or lack thereof. Ian is a photographer, yet the work in this book is quite different from his usual style. When you are so close with someone, there is a shorthand and true understanding of what the other person is trying to accomplish. If there’s something I am physically unable to photograph, I can say one word and Ian can assist me with my vision. Ian can capture intimate moments with me that nobody can fabricate, because of our relationship. The strong sense of familiarity eliminates all boundaries between the subject and the photographer. “Documenting myself has almost become a necessity.  “There are so many photos of me, taken by other people, that aesthetically I have no control over. Documenting myself allows me to reflect on the day, on the feelings I am having at that second. When you work in the entertainment industry, there are always surprises; there certainly isn’t one day that is similar to the last. Personally, it’s important to embrace this and appreciate it every day. “Still images vividly capture emotion, a second in time that can be left open for interpretation by the viewer and the creator. I am inspired by the work of Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin. Sherman’s work continues to inspire me to develop certain characters. I figured if I am on set I might as well take advantage of my surroundings, and document my life in an exciting, untraditional manner. I look back at photos, and see how much I’ve grown, how my opinions have changed, and how they will continue to change.” —Sasha Grey

Discoveries: Henri Cartier-Bresson


Clément Chéroux - 2008
    Early on he adopted the versatile 35mm format and helped develop the popular “street photography” style, influencing generations of photographers that followed. In his own words, he expressed that “the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. . . . It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.” In 1947 Cartier-Bresson founded Magnum Photos with four other photographers. August 22 will be the 100th anniversary of his birth.

America 24/7


Rick Smolan - 2003
    Showcasing the best photographs as documented by up to a million or more participants from across the United States, the publication of America 24/7 will coincide with network television specials, a DVD documentary, a traveling exhibition of photographs, and a compelling website. In addition to the 1,000+ top photojournalists being hired by the America 24/7 team, amateur photographers from across the country will be invited to submit their own digital photographs of American life via the project's website--america24-7.com. Participants across the United States will help to create a vivid panorama of modern American life capturing the myriad experiences that take place across the nation within a week. The creators of America 24/7 have several New York Times bestsellers to their credit, including A Day in the Life of America, A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union, and Christmas in America.

The DIRTY Big Book of SEX Quotes: Plus Sexy Biographies from Woody Allen, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Jenna Jameson, Mae West, Oscar Wilde, Bill Maher and More!


Mark Zedler - 2011
    But, on the other hand many still see sex as a taboo subject fraught with seemingly life and soul threatening dangers at every turn. This fear of human sexuality is so deeply embedded within our psyche that Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, once suggested that ‘had God consulted me in the matter [of human reproduction], I should have advised Him to continue the generation of the species by fashioning them out of clay.’While such negative beliefs around sex and been slowly eroding over the past 50 years, it is still very difficult for many to accept their own sexuality. Unfortunately, we are still conflicted with a tremendous amount of religious infused guilt over sex. Perhaps we should consider the sage advice of actress Bette Davis when she remarked that "sex is God's joke on human beings." If the joke is really on us then it would it not make a whole lot more sense for society to drop all its pious pretenses around sex and embrace and celebrate it whole heartedly? In my view the answer to that question is a resounding YES!This celebration of sex is what the readers of my first collection, The DIRTY Little Book of SEX Quotes thoroughly enjoyed. Just like the first collection, this compilation concentrations on delivering more of what my readers found so enjoyable; a collection of evocative, thought provoking, contentious, witty, outrageous, uplifting and hilariously funny sex quotes; plus a whole lot MORE! In The DIRTY Big Book of SEX Quotes you will find it jam packed with so much new material including:• More than 600 new sex quotes that you will thoroughly enjoy.• Over 100 strange sex laws from around the world that will leave you dumbfounded.• More than 300 fascinating pieces of sex trivia.• Nearly a 1,000 hilarious sex euphemisms. • Over 100 beautiful illustrations and pictures.Moreover, this book has been organized into over 100 page turning categories divided into 10 chapters. At the start of each chapter you will find a biography from a famous personality complete with their collection of juicy sex quotes. Included are biographies from such icons and public figures as:• Woody Allen• Marilyn Monroe• Madonna• Jenna Jameson• George Burns• Mae West• Bill Maher• Jerry Falwell• Rodney Dangerfield• Oscar Wilde. D.H. Lawrence once remarked that "Sex and beauty are inseparable, like life and consciousness. And the intelligence which goes with sex and beauty, and arises out of sex and beauty, is intuition." Something this beautiful should clearly be celebrated! The DIRTY Big Book of SEX Quotes is my contribution to that celebration by injecting humor, joyfulness, beauty and irreverence into a area of our lives that truly deserves it.

Tulsa


Larry Clark - 1971
    Its graphic depictions of sex, violence, and drug abuse in the youth culture of Oklahoma were acclaimed by critics for stripping bare the myth that Middle America had been immune to the social convulsions that rocked America in the 1960s. The raw, haunting images taken in 1963, 1968, and 1971 document a youth culture progressively overwhelmed by self-destruction -- and are as moving and disturbing today as when they first appeared. Originally published in a limited paperback version and republished in 1983 as a limited hardcover edition commissioned by the author, rare-book dealers sell copies of this book for more than a thousand dollars. Now in both hardcover and paperback editions from Grove Press, this seminal work of photographic art and social history is once again available to the general public.

Immediate Family


Sally Mann - 1992
    The photographs show the ambiguities and dramas of family life and hauntingly evoke the mysteries of childhood. Sally Mann herself says in the introduction: 'These are photographs of my children ... many of these pictures are intimate, some are fictions and some are fantastic, but most are of ordinary things every mother has seen. I take pictures when they are bloodied or sick or naked or angry. They dress up, they pout and posture, they paint their bodies, they dive like otters in the dark river.' The result is a book that is ethereal, tender and sometimes disquieting.

Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic


John Wilmerding - 2005
    Since then, critics and scholars have largely ignored him. Wyeth, however, who is age 88 at the date of publication, has continued to paint, to the delight of his admirers, collectors, and the art-loving public. Now, in association with the High Museum exhibition, Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic takes a fresh look at the work of one of America's most beloved artists.In examining his entire oeuvre, the book celebrates the artist's ongoing love affair with everyday life-domestic, natural, and architectural. Found throughout Wyeth's work, these objects form patterns that illuminate core themes and reveal the artist wrestling with issues of memory, temporality, embodiment, and the metaphysical. Organized chronologically and thematically, the book explores how the artist's approach to these subjects was formed in his early career, and has been revisited in new and surprising ways in recent years.Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic comprises 150 tempera paintings and 50 drawings and watercolors-including his most-famous works, but also many published here for the first time.

Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson


Camille Paglia - 1990
    It ultimately challenges the cultural assumptions of both conservatives and traditional liberals. 47 photographs.

The New Street Photographer's Manifesto


Tanya Nagar - 2012
    Filled with details on techniques to improve perspective, composition, and exposure, and illustrated with the author's lively and evocative images, as well as advice and photos from 11 contemporary masters of street-shooting style, New Street Photographer's Manifesto has its lens pointed squarely toward the future.

Juxtapoz Illustration


Roger Gastman - 2007
    In this volume artists such as Mode 2, KozynDan, Mike Giant, James Jean, Evan Hecox, Grotesk, Alex Pardee and Morning Breath are briefly profiled, then allowed the space to let their work do the talking.