Univers d'Artistes: The story of a book

November 2, 2018

The story of a book

Christian Pélier was thinking about doing something crazy 💖
October 16, 2016 ·

I have a dream! 😃

Since 5 years, I dream about a book. Would you agree Dave Levingston, Dan Van Winkle, Jean-François Damois, Christophe Meignant, Merrique Sainte, Christophe Vermare, Joe Oliveira, Beau Nestor, Gayle Nestor, AJ Kahn, Ashok Viswanathan, Pavel Kuznetsov, Sjur Roald, Rudi Amedeus, Klaus Kampert, Mike Cary, Adrian Holmes, Jean Charles Jean ? And of course, all the good souls who wants to participate and the members of Uda.

- we could win 5 euros per book. Instead to share some cents we could send the money to the association "Sourire à la Vie" for the children of my hospital in Marseille ?
- format 14x21 cm - 8.25x10.75, hardcover (if not too expensive)
- resolution 700 dpi ok
- somes words from each of you for the introduction
- above your photos, your name, your country, the art model and the title
- 3 of your favorite photos
- 1 book for each of you for your agreement before the publication
- you will receive the amount of sales sended by Lulu or a true editor.

If you agree, write me a comment here with your ok, then your photos at pelierc@yahoo.fr with all your suggestions and ideas 😃 We could sale it at the only condition we promote it a lot on each of our sites and blogs and... I don't expect a huge gain but who knows ?

With love
Your chris

The same day :

Beau Nestor : sent!
Gayle Nestor yes my Chris, a lot of kisses and love
Ashok Viswanathan very ok chris... already emails my images to u. check yrmail
Sjur Roald Good idea Christian!
Pavel Kuznetsov OK
Joe Oliveira Go!
Dan Van Winkle Yes of course!
Dave Levingston I would be honored.
Mike Cary Sounds like a wonderful idea!
Rudi Amedeus I'm in ... Wonderful idea ...
Thomas Peters I'll send some of mine too!
AJ Kahn Sounds wonderful! I'm happy to be included in this. Thank you, Christian.
Simon Loach I'd be interested in this but no problem if you've already got enough people involved
David Hilton I'm on-board...if you'll have me. ??
Adrian Holmes I'm on board
Olivier Pieri j'y suis
Christophe Vermare c'est une excellente idée! Je peux apporter mon soutien dans la réalisation (et complément de quelques photographies of course). A+ ch
Jean-François Damois Tu sais tres bien que je n'ai pas à te répondre, quand c'est pour toi c'est forcement ok. Bises mon Chris.

Wow! So much love... I'm deeply happy and sorry my dear friends. Usually I do what I say but the ms is stronger than me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your compassion and your so quick involvement. You made my dream alive even if this book will stay a dream.

And I received with happiness :

Gayle Nestor
Ashok V.
AJ Kahn
Beau Nestor
Dave Levingston
Mike Cary
Olivier Pieri
Simon Shadowshow
Thom Peters

Gayle Nestor

Gayle and me in Marseille

Gayle Hoskins Nestor
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
24 oct. 2016 à 15:18

Hope you have little pain to deal with daily. What a thing to say. These are some paintings. You're welcome to use any for the book if you like...
Best to you now and forever!!!!!
Love to you Chris... Gayle

Nude

Lazy Girl

me myself and I

Ashok V.

a v
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
16 oct. 2016 à 16:23

Dear Chris

Ref your post on facebook today.
I am vey deeply honoured to have been invited to contribute to the book you plan to print. As requested here are 4 images - my favourites all made using layers and textures (which I know you also love). Also attached is the information requested in word document.

Pls confirm receipt and also let me know when you expect to release the book. I would love to see a pdf of the book when its ready for printing.

Thank you Chris for thinking of me...Warmest regards
Ashok

Apple and leaves

Country : India
Models: Anonymous – wish to remain unknown
title: same as in file name

Photographer from India dedicated to the Fuji X System with keen interest in fine art nudes. Aside from landscapes, portraits and travel images I enjoy shooting nudes to produce artistic images using layer and textures. The images are all shot in available light, using reflectors to fill in the shadows. The models are not professional and often for them it is the first time modelling.

I wish to develop my skill by exploring the style of traditional nudes in BW inspired by masters such as Edward Weston, Helmut Newton, Sam Haskins, Annie Leibovitz and Bill Brandt. A lot of very good work is now coming from upcoming photographers from eastern Europe and Asia.

Behind the glass

Painted nude

AJ Kahn

À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
11 déc. 2016 à 21:07

Hello Christian,

My apologies for the delay on sending you images. I’m focused on finishing a couple projects right now, but will concentrate on our male/female project shortly.

I needed to retouch these images as I could not locate the original retouched files in high resolution. The new retouches may appear slightly different than the originals, but I think you will find them satisfactory. I included six images from that series. Feel free to use any of them for the book project.

Thanks again for working with me, and I appreciate your patience!
Kind Regards,
AJ

With Marlo Dell’Antonio

Approaching the male and female subjects in my photography has evolved over time. It is my feeling that all too often both genders are depicted as stereotypes and perhaps objectified in their own way. I believe most artists have been guilty of this to some extent, including myself. Often times, I would portray male subjects as rugged, brawny and robust as possible. I would use hard, high contrast lighting to bring out definition and texture, broad poses that enhance strength and size of the male physique while avoiding poses that might imply vulnerability. With female subjects, I would use much softer lighting to help smooth the skin and minimize texture. I would encourage poses that are “flattering” to the female figure as well as render them in a gracefully feminine way.

Currently, I aspire to challenge my approach. I want to go beyond what pleases our acquired esthetic senses. It is my goal to represent both subjects collectively as a celebration of humanity. I strive to honor what it is that makes each subject unique while at the same time paying tribute to our similarities. I seek to explore traits that we all share to a certain extent; elegance, strength, passion, vitality, empathy, desire and introspection. It is my hope that if we acknowledge those traits we all possess, perhaps we can find a new appreciation of the human form, no matter the gender of the subject.

With Zack

With Emily Cole

Beau Nestor

Beau and me in Marseille

beau
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
24 oct. 2016 à 22:03

Hello Chris,
I have included 3 images as requested.
I hope this works for you exactly as you need it.
Regards, Beau

"The Falls"

Donna Bourne
Somerset Falls, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia

"Drifting thru Time"

Nathina Greco

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

"Temptation Road"

Cassandra Davis

High Point, North Carolina, USA

Dave Levingston

by Katherine Villari

Dave Levingston
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
18 nov. 2016 à 18:57

Chris,

I'm not really sure what you are looking for in the way of text. If this doesn't fit your needs, please let me know how you would like me to change it. Thanks, Christian. Let me know if you need anything else. Would you like individual comments on each of the photos I'm sending?

Be well,
Dave

With Brooke Lynne

Dave Levingston has been a photographer for nearly 50 years. Since 2002 his work has been primarily with the nude and particularly the nude in nature. He explores our ideas of what is beautiful through the connection between beauty in the female figure and what we find beautiful in the natural world. He gives much credit to the wonderful models who work with him to make this work possible. As he says, "They do all the hard work and I just take photos of them while they do it."

Levingston has been exhibited in many galleries in the United States and has been in shows in Europe as well. Collectors in the US, Europe and South America own his prints. Many of his prints are also in the permanent collection of the Kinsey Institute. He has also been published many times in France in PHOTO magazine.

With Ayn Kaethchen

With ASmallWoman Liv Sage

Mike Cary

Dimanche 16 octobre 2016 19h27,
mike cary :

Chris,
Here is my input, sorry not much of a writer especially when it comes to writing about myself.
Tell me! Tks Chris

Model Blue River Dream
Nude in Fog

Mike Cary
United States of America
Amateur photographer/observer and record of art/beauty

While others may feel that they create the art or photography that they produce I've never really thought about the way I work in that way. Maybe its the fact that my mind/thought process work in such away that I struggle with ideas or envisioning what I want ahead of time. Which make me think of myself more as an observer or recorder or art/beauty than a creator of either. Or more simply put I know what will make a good photograph but I still need to see it first.

Model Erica Jay
Strait and Curved lines

Anoush Anou

Nude on Stairs

Olivier Pieri

olivier PIERI
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
19 oct. 2016 à 17:12

Je sais que tu les aimes alors...
Cordialement
Olivier

The Encuber Series
Le Cube

Olivier reminds me an answer of Thorsten Jankowski :

"Black and white addicted, I see myself as a Sculptor of bodies - the human form is predestinated to create images which rock. When I am taking pictures, I am working. I am conducting, I am analyzing, I am waiting for the right moment, I am anathematising the light, I am seeing, I am concentrated."

Olivier Pieri sculpts his talented Art Models in a magnificent way I love since the beginning of the magazine.

Simon Shadowshow

simon shadowshow
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
3 nov. 2016 à 21:34

Hi Chris
hope this ok ... adapted what Id written before and brought it up to date .... feel free to use for website / book or both (or neither if you dont want to !!)
take care my friend :-)
~simon

I’m often falling in and out of love with photography. At the moment I’m in love with it again.

Hotel sleaze is what my work is all about at the moment. It’s far more contemporary than my older work of carnival tents, burlesque dancers and showgirls. I think the underlying ‘theme’ remains the same even though the aesthetic has changed. The images themselves are raw, grainy , blurred in places and far removed from high glamour and sterile studios. I’m enjoying being less precise with my editing , a freedom from rigid composition rules and “set” poses. Working sometimes with less experienced models and those from other walks of life who just look like they belong in a photograph.

Thom Peters

Thom Peters
À :pelierc@yahoo.fr
17 oct. 2016 à 19:20

Christian,
My Intro, 4 photos.

Thanks, Christian. Let me know if you need anything else.

"Back to you"
Model: eLLe K

Thom Peters, Michigan, USA

The following statement sums up what I believe:

"Because the skin reflects light in ways that clothes don't, because the human body is an incredible thing with curves and sinews and details that few man-made objects can dream of, because it is simple and complex at once, because it can be powerful, vulnerable, sexy and disarming simultaneously, because all you need is a camera, light and a body and you can create the most beautiful images in the world". Ruth Bernhard, Views on nudes by Bill Jay

"Contemplation"

Model: Mila