Rakin: Male Nudes
folio. pp. 104, [7]. profusely illustrated. model biographies. hardcover boards. (head of spine bumped, 2 nicks to back cover). [New York]: Universe, [2001].
ISBN-10: 0789306212 / ISBN-13: 978789306210
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The original female Nudes book by Rankin received both critical and public acclaim, cementing his reputation as the UK's foremost photographic talent.
Male Nudes is the promised follow-up, once more drawing its subjects from an anonymous request for models placed in the classifieds column of Time Out. Each participant then dictated exactly how they wished to be photographed. While naked women appear in advertisements, films and newspapers with almost relentless frequency, men do not. Male Nudes asks why this is, aiming to raise the profile of the male form in the mainstream, and exploring the attitudes which inform its presentation and reception.
In the same way that Nudes drew interest from men and women alike, Male Nudes will do so as well, dealing with one of the last remaining taboos in our society. Presented with a high-profile exhibition at London's Proud Galleries and in the US, it is destined to become a national talking-point which sensitively addresses the male form.