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By: Abbeville Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Simple concept brilliantly executed 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Heads is a photography book with an amazingly simple concept. 200 bald men and women photographed identically, face-on in close-up. The effect is staggering. You could never imagine the shocking differences in head shapes and facial features. You can't turn two pages of the book without having an immediate emotional response. Four people stare right at you as you turn each page. Each chosen for similarities or interesting pairings. The book is shot in black and white and each subject has a completely neutral expression. Because everything is the same the differences jump out at you with astonishing clarity. You can flip through the book comparing things in ways you could never do in everyday life. Each time you flip through the book you focus on something new. Eyelids, brows, eyes, noses, ears, and foreheads come in shapes you never imagined. Each face has a unique personality. Some almost tell stories about their whole lives even without reading the brief descriptions of who they are and what they do for a living. You will see faces that seem familiar and others that seem utterly alien. Flipping through the book produces a surreal morphing effect. There are just so many ways to look at "Heads" it is a new read every time. It is a great book to leave on the coffee table. I keep mine in the bathroom. Most people describe the book as "a real trip". Artist types will flip over it. I have never seen another book like it, but like a lot of people, I wish there were others like it showing heads from the side or even the back! People buy books to feel something, be educated and connect with humanity in new ways. Heads manages to do all these things without speaking a word.
Editorial Review:
Avant-garde photographer Alex Kayser studies the enigma of human physiognomy; the 184 models in this book ranged widely in age and come from all walks of life, but share one feature: they are bald. All of the photographers are posed, lit, and cropped identically, so that the images are refined to the sparest of head shots. The subjects are artists, actors, lawyers, gourmet chefs, heavyweight boxers, and chiropractors, and several of them are well-known, but in the very refined presentation of Kayser's photographs they become a fascinating exercise in how we read faces and human identity. The text includes an interview with Kayser, quotes from some of the models describing everything from Zen philosophy to a favorite band of razor, and an afterword by National Book Award winner of Richard Howard.
