Sports Illustrated: In the Paint by Editors of Sports Illustrated, James Porto (Photographer)

From Barnes & Noble

In 1997, Sports Illustrated took an aesthetic leap forward by introducing body-painted models to its annual swimsuit issue. This stunning innovation pleased SI's already appreciative audience so much that subsequent issues have carried images of even more daring painted-swimsuit photographs. Devotees of photography, optical illusions, and shapely swimsuit models will be gratified by this complete collection of painted beauties.

Christina Bauer Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - School Library Journal

This collection of photographs published ten years earlier in the Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue showcases the artwork of world-renowned body painter Gair. Painting clothing onto a human body is extremely painstaking work, both for the painter and for the model; in Gair's case, the work is well worth the effort. Her attention to such details as shadow and the crumpling of fabric results in remarkably realistic-looking "clothing." Accompanying the photographs are a history of body painting as well as Gair's and various models' accounts of what the lengthy body-painting process is like. As the photos derive from the Swimsuit Issue, the book tries to ride the line between discussing Gair's artwork and displaying the models' bodies. While its most substantial article describes the experience of being on an "island of naked supermodels," the book's title and introduction emphasize Gair's artistic process, so the intended audience is unclear. Based on the quality of the photographs and the uniqueness of Gair's work, however, this could be a good purchase for large public libraries.

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