A REVIEW OF TONY RYAN'S BOOK OF NUDE PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANK MOORE

Reviewing a book of photographs is dicey. Why don't you just look at the four photos that we have printed from Tony Ryan's book, Beauty Reality? Then look up the last issue of TC(r) in which we featured Ryan's work. Then, if you are on-line, go to his site at: http://imalchemy.com/Tony.Ryan/ and feast on his work. After you have done all of that you probably will be so hungry for his work that you will want to buy the book for $30 ... and for another $10, Tony will throw in a signed 8 by 10 inch print of your choice mailed with the book. He is my kind of a teddy bear of a guy!

If you look at his photos, why do I need to write this review? Oh well, I'm writing this to justify my getting the free copy of the beautiful book. A book of beautiful bodies naked ... not just Hollywood Playboy "beauty" ... people beauty ... men, couples of both genders, mothers and children (can the dirty minded cry child abuse?), mothers-about-to-be, children (will the dirty minded cry child porn?) ... and real living lusty women. The cocks-and-tits counting "feminists" will be quick to point out it is mostly nude beautiful women (and they don't include the big women in that classification). Like always, they miss the depth of the art. The nude body in each of Tony's photos is just the starting point to reveal the "subject's" personality/spirit, to explore relationships, and to dive into the magical intimate altered reality of the shooting session the special intimate reality created when artist and model come together in art. The work is humanistic (thus, truly feminist), completely erotic because it is not limited by sex. Tony, as do I, admits to being especially attracted to working with women, to what he calls the special tension. In fact, he subtitles the book, "Male Eye-Female Mind". By doing so, he is calling attention to the major and active role of the female models in the creative process. But I think it can be applied to Tony himself ... because looking at his pictures and reading his writings, I would say Tony has a very developed feminine side in himself.

I met Tony on the Internet when I was searching for erotic art that wasn't legs-spread, beer- can- in- the- ass- dildo- in- cunt- sucking- cock parody on sex (such parodies have their place, but ...). And that is where the world also met Tony. On the Internet is where Tony broke out of the isolation that is felt by most artists who do not do fashionable art, who do not fit in, or who run afoul of the local art power structure, and/or live in the boonies ... I think Tasmania may be on the outskirts of the boonies (but, judging from Tony's photos, there are a lot of interesting folks living on the outskirts!). Tony shows that by putting your art directly out into the world, you can by-pass all road blocks that the power structures put in your way. This is another reason why Tony's art is so inspiring!

You can contact Tony at: Tony.Ryan@utas.edu.au

Or snailmail to:
C/- Grove Post Office
,
Grove, Tasmania
Australia 7109



 Self-portrait


Hannah Dancing II

   
A Couple


Hannah and Nellie

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