Schatz Images: 25 Years

Shocking, playful, energetic, provocative, and beautiful—and yet so many more adjectives are still required to adequately describe the work of master photographer Schatz. Twenty-five years of his wizardry are collected in this two-volume opus, a survey of Schatz’s fashion, advertising, editorial and art photography. The books themselves are lusciously produced in full color, aptly displaying digitally enhanced bouquets of semi-naked bodies, a naked ballerina wearing toe shoes, and black and white images of babies nursing, among many other pictures. The combined collection encapsulates Schatz versatility as a photographer with a range of subjects. “Growing Up” is a fascinating series looking first at women during pregnancy and motherhood, and then at their children. Schatz photographed these children every year for 25 years, and the results are fascinating. The celebrity renderings—save for Tracy Morgan in a blond wig, baring his big belly—are bland compared to the rest of the collected photos. Better, more unusual standouts include “Body Knots,” contorted bodies painted in various hues or covered in patterns. These images require no real interpretation, and readers will find themselves unable to look away. (May)