Joyce Baronio - 42nd Street Studio - 1980

Joyce Baronio was a student of Walker Evans at Yale, while studying art history and anthropology. Inspired by a portrait that she took backstage during the Miss Nude US competition of 1976, she became intrigued by the phantasy world that these models aspired to live in - an aspect that was missing from the usual nude photography. As she found that many of the models came from the erotic industry at 42nd street, she submerged herselves for four years, and made staged portraits that realized the visions of the erotic actor/actrices found on 42nd Street. Using her tiny studio with natural lighting she was able to remove the vulgar image that pictures of these models usually embed. Her work is similar but also somewhat opposite in intent to Susan Meiselas work on carnival strippers - shot at about the same time, but never became that well-known.

Large hardcover. Glossy, photographic paper covers. Title on spine. Some yellowing to the spine and back cover, some light wear to the edges. 40 portraits on ful pages, with opposite page blank., Photographic endpapers. Dust cover is not included.

Published in the US in 1980, and in Europe in Germany and France. This is the rare French version by Contrejour.

Listed in Bertolotti's 'Book of Nudes, pp. 255.

ISBN 2-859-49-032-9