Naked Beauty (English, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian Edition) Hardcover – September 15, 2011

Women's figures offer endless variation, not just between individuals, but within the individual herself. Lighting shifts to emphasize different curves and contours. Her body shifts, too, showing grace, softness, broad planes, complex details, and flexing muscles. So, when Blum takes this marvelous material and abstracts it into form and composition, the result gives multiple layers of meaning.The first, of course, is simple love of that form, in all its variations. The women themselves carry their native beauty effortlessly. Then at another level, Blum uses women's figures for plays of shadow and light. Skin tone changes the meaning of chiaroscuro: her paler models reveal their form in the shadows, but the darkest tones glisten with highlights that trace out the feminine structure. And, between those extremes, some women of middle skin tone combine the two, defining their shapes as much with the high notes of brightness as with their deeper tones and shading.The next layer of each B&W photo truly sets Blum's work apart, though. That human material, with it complex play of light, carries the visual composition and abstract forms that Blum coaxes from these gorgeous models. Angularity and curve, plane of thigh or ridged landscape of hand, defined shape of muscle or suspended softness of breast - each has its part in some photographic construction or other. It's this sculptural use of form, while retaining each model's unique character and grace, that I find so compelling in Blum's work.It's gratifying to see such a wide palette of human coloring in this collection, with a matching range of features and personal details. The models all fit the toned, slim, twenty-something mold. It's an easy look to like, but sometimes too easy. If Blum could do as much with different curves and with the differences of a woman's ages, this would be a landmark work. But, even with that limitation, it's still a beautiful collection. This large, well-printed and well-made anthology has a place in any collection of figure photography.-- wiredweird

Interesting work by Sylvie Blum. As an artist, the line, form and grace is captured in her photos. Had the opportunity to have Brooke LaBrie model for a workshop. Sylvie's photos captured her amazing poses.

Nice book on nudes. Kinda old fashioned artistic nude. Simple poses, plain, presented in minimalist style. But there was something missing to make this book more interesting. Cannot figure out what it is. But a bad buy for the money

Tastefully curated images. There is a lot of nudity, as the title would suggest, but it is so clearly art. I am not ashamed to have it as a coffee table book.

love it

Former model Sylvie Blum switches to the other side of the camera and transforms her nude subjects into gleaming black-and-white puzzle-sculptures. Even though many of her photographs show only part of the female model's body, it is surprising how much personality is evoked in the compositions by a jutting shoulder blade or uplifted hands. Her full-body poses range from kinetic to fetal. The aggressively athletic postures are contradicted by the soft gleam of naked skin.To me, the most disturbing portraits involved a bald, ultra-thin model. Here, Blum tended to angle her camera upward from below, giving her subject the appearance of a Giacometti sculpture.This volume pays homage to the alluring, young, female form, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes athletically arrogant. Very few props were used, which is why the clenched circle of a nipple ring comes as something of a shock on the model named Vel. It somehow makes her seem even more naked. The only banal portrait was a pouty-lipped, head-and-breast shot of Ashley, which would have been more at home in a 'Playboy' magazine.The main body of this oversized (11"x13.5") book--99 full-page photographs--is followed by a plate list, where the author identifies the year the photograph was taken, along with a sometimes whimsical title.***review copy supplied by publisher

This is a magnificent book - it's big, it's brash, and it's so polished that almost anyone would be proud to showcase it on their living room coffee table. It pays admirable homage to the geometry and elegance of the female form. It's one of those rare collections that are truly inspiring. TeNues is to be commended for daring the publish such an artistic manifesto when it seems that all that's selling these days are erotic/sexual titles. Hopefully their boldness will be rewarded, as this book is a most marvelous collection of artistic nudes. And it is very exciting to witness the development of photographer Sylvie Blum. She is maturing into a true visionary.