In Defense of Beauty

Don't let the small size fool you, this is a great little book. Tom Bianchi has been wowing the public and critics alike with his photos for years. Some have been critical that the only people who find themselves in his work are individuals who are utterly flawless. In the the book, In Defense of Beauty, Mr Bianchi answers his critics with a thought provoking essay and the stunning photographs for which he is so well known and loved. Not only does he answer his critics- he provides a frame of thought which, if applied to our everyday lives, can create a positive change in the least physically attractive individual and bring forth that beauty in their own everyday lives. Attitude is truely the first step to not only inner beauty but of sharing a love for yourself and those around us in our daily lives. Get this book, you won't be sorry!

Known for his homoerotic images, photographer Tom Bianchi gives us a small taste (and I really mean small, since this book is pocket-size) of male nudes mixed in with prose and quotes from several authors. While his black and white imagery has always captured the eyes of many, due to his excellent depiction of the most beautiful male bodies on the planet, Bianchi's books gives anyone a reason to define beauty the way they see it.It is not necessary to look like an Adonis like most of the men in this book (not that wouldn't hurt if you were one), but the fact that most of the men featured in this book are over their 40's, some even HIV+, often can open our eyes that stereotypes can't often steal from beauty's definition.Whether gay or not, whether an art student or admirer, this book will give you a small glimpse and taste from one of nude photography's greatest photographers. Although this book will appeal primarily to gay men, I wouldn't toss aside if you weren't. You might discover things you didn't realize by browsing through this book.

Tom Bianchi has in recent years succumbed to the more base tendencies of the gay male community by focussing his work on graphic erotica and stereotypical "homoerotic" imagery. In Defense of Beauty represents a time in which his work was truly centered around the highest aesthetic potential of his subject matter and of the work he was producing. This book represents the frankest and clearest possible portrayal of the richness of his subject matter without descending into the less refined pornographic content of his current work.

Tom Bianchi's stunning images of men are classics. Equal to any classical Greek or Roman image of the male nude. He also makes a point in this book if one takes time to read it, and that point is you don't have to be young to beautiful. Some of the models in this book are over fifty years of age, proving that point. He presents poignant portraits of his models both in words and photographs. Like his other books, "Out of the Studio", "Extraordinary Friends", And his highly eroctic work "In the Studio", "In Defense of Beauty" is truly a work of his mastery of the art of photography. Lets face it, would you buy it if it featured the average American male couch patatoe, I didn't think so.

Don't let the small size of this book fool you. Tom Bianchi has done it again, bringing some of his most stunning nude images and moving text into a lovely tribute to the male nude. Patrick Perez/Photographe