Bodies: Boris Vallejo: Photographic Art

by Boris Vallejo

Book Overview

A collection of sensual photographs from renowned fantasy artist Boris Vallejo, Bodies, showcases the strength and beauty of the human body. 105 photos, 20 in color. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560251581
• ISBN13: 9781560251583
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.0" x 12.0"

Customer Reviews

because no one looks like that, right?

Boris Vallejo is well known for his fantasy art. Specifically for his incredibly muscular voluptous and scantily clad ladies. Although, he also is responsible for the incredibly buff males who wear just as little clothing (look for his work on Conan: the Barbarian)Teamed with his wife, Julie Bell who is a body builder and accomplished artist in her own right (you will see many pictures of her nude in this book), the two have published tons of illustration books. These books attract all different fans, from those who just use them as soft porn to those who really appreciate the illustrative techniques, and fantasy enthusiasts of all sorts. Most people who looked at these books have to go at some point, usually in discust, THERE ARE NO REAL PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE THIS! Well...um...I said that too, and looking at this photography, I have to munch those words. (Pass the ketchup?) The beautiful black and white photography of these incredible hardbodies proves that yes there are some real live people who really do look like fantasy superheros/heroines. (Except honestly, the breasts on the women are usually, but not always smaller, since breasts are mostly fat) Then there is the irony of this book, in that we are being presented with larger than life looking bodybuilders, seemingly so perfect, but they are presented to us very candidly, with scars and freckles and body hair. It's wonderful. I think fans of Boris Vallejo will really appreciate this book.

Illustrator AND Photographer

Most people who are familiar with Boris Vallejo's work know him as a fantasy illustrator. He is on of the best in his field, producing strong, graphic images of physically impressive people. I was surprised to discover that most often Vallejo works from life, or photographs of models.Originally Vallejo used a professional photographer, but he became interested in photographer and began to do his own work. He brings to his black and white photographic images the same intensity that he uses in his illustration. No doubt due in part to his interest in body building Vallejo's perception of beauty is a bit different from the photographic norm.Vallejo's women are not the slim ephemeral beauties that inhabit the fantasies of your average, slightly flabby, American male. These women are people to contend with, who hand swords and armor with the same facility we do Palm Pilots. Using these strong thewed yet remarkably sensual women (and men too) Vallejo creates images of refined quality with a startling sense of natural form and flow. They lack the excessive strain that sometimes appears in photos of body builders.Vallejo uses medium format cameras to create images of extreme detail, and is unafraid to include the scars and bumps along with the lush sensuality of skin and hair. As such there is a dimensional effect which can be hypnotic. Some might quibble over whether this is fine art photography, but these are striking, unforgettable images.

Robust, Beautiful Unadorned Bodies Form the Base of Fantasy!

This book contains many nude photographs done in ways that would cause the book to receive an R rating if it were a motion picture. Boris Vallejo is well known for his fantasy illustrations of strong men and women. To create those illustrations, he often creates photographs of his models rather than having them pose for extended periods of time. This book contains many images that he has used for that purpose. For long-time Vallejo fans, part of the interest in this book will be seeing the models he was using. This allows you to see more clearly what Vallejo adds through selecting the models, posing them, and employing his illustration style. Since these images were created as intermediary subjects, they do not have the usual focus on composition, lighting, or personality. As such, these vibrant people often come across like partially decayed statues done in marble by a long-deceased Roman or Greek sculptor. The most interesting part of the photographs themselves is that they reveal aspects of the human form that you have probably not seen before. Most of the models are female bodybuilders (including Mr. Vallejo's wife and sister). Most of us have an image of what bodybuilders look like in a competition. These photographs are less extreme, taken when a model is usually not "pumped up" to competition shape and with less extreme poses. Because there is little use of filters (and no retouching that I noticed), these people reveal their warts and scars as well as their muscles. I found the contrasts to be fascinating. Rather than making the images less attractive, the contrast for me made the most beautiful sections of the model's body even more idealized. In many cases, it's a jaw line, or a neck, or part of the curve of the shoulder that draws your attention. But by being in very good shape, there's a lot of muscle that creates slightly exaggerated curves in many places against taut skin that makes for very appealing shapes. In some situations, the models pose with all kinds of fantasy gear, including weapons. This actually enhances the contrasts in favor of seeing the person has more powerful -- to hold such a dangerous weapon while unclothed requires great self-confidence. I also came away from this book having a greater appreciation for Mr. Vallejo's illustrations. They are much closer to real life than I would have ever imagined. I had always found them to seem exaggerated, and thus unfairly dismissed them as overdone. But his illustrations are not much more than an idealization of the real thing, as portrayed here. I would normally tell you what my favorite images are from the book. Since there were no names, titles, dates, or page numbers, it is hard to reference them. From a photography perspective, the image of the pregnant woman was clearly one of the best. I found that his female photographs were more appealing than his male ones, probably because the models were less distorted by muscles. The women seemed

A wonderful product with a warts-and-all approach

Quite frankly, there isn't much for me to say; the reader from Milwaukee, August, 1998 pretty much covered it all, and I agree with everything that reviewer said. This was not something that was developed specifically as a photography project; it evolved naturally from Boris' work as an illustrator. In his earlier works, such as "The Fantastic Art of Boris Vallejo" and "Mirage," reference is made to his use of photo-referents as tools for his paintings. While his interest in photography stems from that, his primary concern with it is firmly rooted in the utilitarian sense of the photo as an intermediary tool in the creation of something else. That shows in this. In "Bodies" we find some prints which were always intended as showcase photos, some which were merely used to get the creative juices flowing, and some which were intended as intermediary tools, but which also happened to be of showcase quality.Because Boris' photographic mentality is focused not so much on the end product, but on the process, we see a very organic, natural, frank, honest, and unpretentious presentation. Oh, it's not without flaws, but neither is the essence of humanity. I was so impressed with the package that I refused to buy the copy of the book I found in the store, which had been slightly manhandled (no doubt by giggling adolescents incapable of looking beyond the nude to the art within). I made them special order a copy so that I might have one that was pristine.There was one other fun thing not touched on by any of the previous reviewers. As a longtime Boris fan, owner of all his previous books ("The Fantastic Art of Boris Vallejo," "Mirage," "Enchantment," and "Ladies") as well as numerous book covers and fantasy art calendars, I found it entertaining to play "Spot the Model." Though the majority of the photos were of the photographer's wife, bodybuilder and fantasy artist Julie Bell, certain faces and figures were instantly recognizable for having turned up as a god in a calendar, a noble savage on a book cover, a Greek femme fatale bringing to life a story by the artist's sister, Doris.Jaded longtime photography pointy-heads may not learn anything new from this book, but there is something within that can make this book as enjoyable to them as to any longtime fan of the great illustrator. Boris simply has a deep and abiding love for the human form, and this collection is a celebration of that emotion and devotion. A celebration definitely worth attending.

Beauty of the Human Form

First, I need to point out that I am no expert on photographic technique. As hinted at by Vallejo himself in the introduction, the book makes no claims at being a work of technical photographic excellence.Instead, what I choose to rate the book on is the overall impression it leaves. In that respect, I think it's a wonderful book.The models photographed are mostly body builders, mostly female, mostly fair-skinned, and mostly nude. A large percentage of them are photographs of Julie Bell --- Vallejo's wife and a gifted fantasy artist in her own right.Body builders spend years turning their own flesh into muscular sculptures, and their focus results in a variety of ideal human form. While aesthetic tastes vary, the subjects that Vallejo has photographed here left me with almost a sense of awe, not wholly unlike viewing a remarkable landscape... but the subject is flesh and bone, not rock, and all the more remarkable and beautiful for it.Some props are present here and there, most likely because they served a purpose in his fantasy artwork (he uses his photography as models for his paintings). While these are occasionally distracting, their presence isn't overpowering.There are a few exceptions in the book that stand out because they *aren't* body builders. In particular, there are two plates facing each other: one of a pregnant nude, carefully lit and draped with a sort of veil, and one of a happy young mother holding her baby. Like the other photographs in this volume however, they only reinforce the theme of the magnificence of the human form.This is the book I'd show to anyone who holds the belief that nudity can inspire nothing but lust, that the human body is something less than a wonder.