Dare

very pleased

great photobook

Great

It is difficult to believe that this is the first monograph of the work of art photographer Guillem Medina. Bruno Gmünder Verlag, one of the finest producers of photographic monographs, has used Medina's art in their multiple artist collections such as HAIR and VISIONS, and it is likely the very positive reaction of readers to those aperitifs that lead to this very elegantly produced, high class volume of Medina's output. We will hear more about him! In DARE the Spanish photographer has elected to curate his works that emphasize the very macho, seethingly masculine male image. These models, all at the peak of body building perfection, are placed in settings both of negative space, allowing the attention to focus on the form of the figure and the energy of the sensuous message, and in manipulated backgrounds - some achieved with photoshop assistance while others are worked into naturally spectacular contexts of ropes, crumbling walls, darkened rooms with only a single window silhouetting the model. Medina has found a number of excessive tattooed models and incorporates the tattoo patterns by adding large snakes wrapping around the body or merely accentuating the stress of muscles in the pose Medina selects to spotlight the tattoo art. These men are those we would expect to encounter in dark alleys or other avenues of danger, but while the DARE title suggests pugilism, many of these men retain a most impressive innocence in their gaze from bodies that look capable of significant damage if provoked. The photographs are lushly colored with fine color saturation in the printing process, beautifully designed for the page, and include solo as well as duo poses with all manner of story suggestion. Medina is talented and this is a fine introduction to his visceral art! Grady Harp, November 10

... it seems like something is missing, the models are hot as they should be most of them, I liked the book as part of my collection, but not my favorite.

Nice guys!