Shaolin: Temple of Zen

This book has gorgeous photos of the Shaolin monks practicing Kung Fu and Zen meditation. I have seen other photo books on Shaolin, which mostly display superhuman feats in which the monks are more performers than martial artists. This book shows the inner sanctum of the Shaolin Temple with an artistic sensibility. Beautiful work.

This book perhaps represents the direction that Shaolin should take in this new century. After the martial underground of the early part of the 20th century, and then the circus-like modern explosion of Shaolin in the 90s and early 2000s, Shaolin now needs to revalue its traditional physical and spiritual roots, the health and strenght of traditional Shaolin WuShu united with the profound teachings of Chan (Zen) phylosophy, adapted in a pragmatic and captivating way to our modern lifestyles. The photographs in this book, and their composition, certainly capture the stillness-action duality of Shaolin, and are a novel, more "artistic" take on the subject. Perhaps for the first time a Shaolin-related book has moved away from the overdone scenes of many chinese publications, or from attempts at being a technical reportage, to simply use striking photography of traditional Shaolin GongFu WuShu to "paint a picture" of traditional Shaolin today, starting from the very monks the author chose to use. A definite must for all Shaolin practitioners but more importantly for a far broader audience whom, through these images, migh begin a journey of understanding, and perhaps of practice, towards real Shaolin WuShu and Chan.

If you're like me, and have lived in the U.S. your entire life, your exposure to martial arts probably consists of watching a few Jet Li or Tarantino movies. In this book, Guariglia tells a different side of the story. The mood of the book is peaceful and meditative, emphaisizing kung fu as a way of life, not just a sport. Although the images are beautiful, this is more than a photography book--it's a fresh look at an ancient way of life that, until now, has been inaccessible to the Western world. Even if your particular interest is not in kung fu, this is a fascinating book. The rich, colorful imagery and vibrant portraits make this book worth adding to the best photography collection.

I have been a long time follower of Aperture's publications, finding a good majority of their work to be high caliber, thoughtful, and considerate bodies of work. I found Guariglia's first book by Aperture is no exception. Picked up a copy of the book the other day and was really impressed by the quietness the book exudes despite the the subject matter being kung fu. The portraits of the monks themselves I find beautiful and strong, but they are supplemented by a lush, colourful imagery of these men practicing kung fu. This farrago of imagery works successfully where other photographers fail in uniting anthropological and fine art photography.