PAUL M SMITHS PHOTOGRAPHS – Paul M. Smith

Published by Goliath – 2004 – USA28.6 x 21 cm – 112 pages in colours – hardcoverRetrospective of the first photographer to embrace digital manipulation. An internationally respected artist, Smith uses his body to express his ideas, playing out different roles which suggest that masculinity is fabricated and mutable. His themes include * manipulated war photography provoking debate about truth in war * male bonding images questioning masculine identity * a lone adventurer seeking freedom, but becoming an artificial hero There is a moral tone to Smith’s work: subjects are chosen with special care and his images are highly constructed and polished. His complex arrangements are characterized by: * deliberately unattractive set of physical types * mutated body-morphs * clearly-staged manipulations