From Publishers Weekly
Black and white newborns and mothers are featured in full color in Australian photographer Geddes's latest postpartum spectacular. It has been more than five years since Down in the Garden, Geddes's bestselling set of stylized babies-as-flowers. These 123 new color and b&w photographs offer a variety of mother-and-child poses and guises, many of which, through the ingenious use of body stockings and some careful camera work, simulate pregnancy: here are babies in fetal position on mother's stomach, held in place by flesh-like mesh; babies surrounded by strange, womb-simulating white fluff; babies projected into Mars-like pulsing red-yellow backdrops suggesting a living womb. The effect is unsettling, to say the least. There are also more conventional shots of newborns precariously balanced on women's backs or nestled at the breast, and simple, intense closeups of sleeping infants. Single words appear en face to the full-page photos: "DELIGHTFUL," "MIRACULOUS," "DELICATE," "CHERISHED." What aren't they doing? Screaming, eating, moving or looking expectantly at the viewer and demanding something they cannot yet verbalize. These babies are like Geddes's other preferred subject, flowers: beautiful, silent, content. Yet fantasy and idealization are as much a part of life as gritty verit‚: Geddes's books have sold 15 million copies in 50 countries.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This sumptuous large-format book deals exclusively with the subject of birth and calmly sleeping babies. The 123 black-and-white and color photographs feature infants held by mothers or fathers, twins cuddling together in various poses, women carrying infants, and many other imaginatively rendered tableaux. The variety of the photographs is remarkable, especially given the singularity of the subject, and each one is beautifully executed. A few of the photographs are a bit stylized, but the theme of the book as a whole succeeds admirably. Geddes (Down in the Garden), whose earlier photographs of babies gained widespread popularity, set out to make this volume "a celebration of the very essence of new life-the beauty, innocence, and promise of every newborn." Aptly titled, this collection of technically and aesthetically exquisite photographs is imbued with grace and hope. It will be a welcome addition to all photography collections but will also be enjoyed by anyone who simply likes babies-what can be sweeter and more charming than a newborn contentedly snoozing in its mother's arms? Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, ILCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
No one photographs babies like celebrated Australian photographer Anne Geddes. From the launch of her first photographic greeting cards and calendar in 1992 to the phenomenal success of her books Down In The Garden and Until Now, her unique photos have touched millions of people worldwide. Now, in her stunning new full-color book, Pure, Anne achieves a completely new level of photographic artistry and vision. This paperback edition of Pure features French flaps and offers breathtaking images that intimately evoke the wonder of the first precious days and weeks of life. With eyes tightly shut, in wrinkly new skin, unaffected by and unaware of the world that awaits them, these newborns hint and the mysterious world before birth. The miracle of life shines from each sumptuous oversized page. Geddes presents these babies in their purest form to "emphasize the fact that they are vulnerable, fragile, and very precious human beings." The revealing images of these "just borns" epitomize the words that accompany them: "Unique," "Perfect," "Extraordinary." Mothers, too, are shown anew through Anne Geddes' lens. Real women in the full bloom of pregnancy radiate serenity and promise. Mothers enfold babies in their arms, highlighting the beautiful bond between them. They reveal our shared humanity - beautiful, vulnerable, loved. Pure is a powerful reminder that we all begin life small, innocent, and full of potential. With over 62,000 copies of the hardcover sold, Pure showcases Anne Geddes' extraordinary talent and her gift with newborn babies as never before. It is a celebration of life and birth sure to become a treasured volume the world over.


About the Author
Born and raised in Queensland, Australia, Anne Geddes is the world's best-selling photographer. Her classic images of newborns grace greeting cards, calendars, books, stationery, and photo albums and are currently published in more than 50 countries. Anne's books have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 15 languages.Her new collection of baby clothing designed for babies up to 12 months is now available exclusively on-line. She and her husband, Kel, live in New Zealand with their two daughters.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

No one photographs babies like celebrated Australian photographer Anne Geddes. From the launch of her first photographic greeting cards and calendar in 1992 to the phenomenal success of her books Down in the Garden and Until Now, her unique photos have touched millions of people worldwide. Now, in her stunning new full-color book, Pure, Anne achieves a completely new level of photographic artistry and vision.

This paperback edition of Pure features French flaps and offers breathtaking images that intimately evoke the wonder of the first precious days and weeks of life. With eyes tightly shut, in wrinkly new skin, unaffected by and unaware of the world that awaits them, these newborns hint at the mysterious world before birth.

The miracle of life shines from each sumptuous oversized page. Geddes presents these babies in their purest form to "emphasize the fact that they are vulnerable, fragile, and very precious human beings." The revealing images of these "just borns" epitomize the words that accompany them: "Unique," "Perfect," "Extraordinary."

Mothers, too, are shown anew through Anne Geddes' lens. Real women in the full bloom of pregnancy radiate serenity and promise. Mothers enfold babies in their arms, highlighting the beautiful bond between them. They reveal our shared humanity-beautiful, vulnerable, loved. Pure is a powerful reminder that we all begin life small, innocent, and full of potential.

With over 62,000 copies of the hardcover sold, Pure showcases Anne Geddes' extraordinary talent and her gift with newborn babies as never before. It is a celebration of life and birth sure to become a treasured volume the world over.

SYNOPSIS

No one photographs babies like celebrated Australian photographer Anne Geddes. From the launch of her first photographic greeting cards and calendar in 1992 to the phenomenal success of her books Down in the Garden and Until Now, her unique photos have touched millions of people worldwide. Now, in her stunning new full-color hardcover book, Pure, Anne achieves a completely new level of photographic artistry and vision.

Four years in the making, Pure offers breathtaking images that intimately evoke the wonder of the first precious days and weeks of life. With eyes tightly shut, in wrinkly new skin, unaffected by and unaware of the world that awaits them, these newborns hint at the mysterious world before birth.

The miracle of life shines from each sumptuous, oversized page. Geddes presents these babies in their purest form to "emphasize the fact that they are vulnerable, fragile and very precious human beings." The revealing images of these "just borns" epitomize the words that accompany them-"Unique," "Perfect," "Extraordinary." Mothers, too, are shown anew through Anne Geddes' lens. Real women in the full bloom of pregnancy radiate serenity and promise. Mothers enfold babies in their arms, highlighting the beautiful bond between them. They reveal our shared humanity-beautiful, vulnerable, loved. Pure.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Black and white newborns and mothers are featured in full color in Australian photographer Geddes's latest postpartum spectacular. It has been more than five years since Down in the Garden, Geddes's bestselling set of stylized babies-as-flowers. These 123 new color and b&w photographs offer a variety of mother-and-child poses and guises, many of which, through the ingenious use of body stockings and some careful camera work, simulate pregnancy: here are babies in fetal position on mother's stomach, held in place by flesh-like mesh; babies surrounded by strange, womb-simulating white fluff; babies projected into Mars-like pulsing red-yellow backdrops suggesting a living womb. The effect is unsettling, to say the least. There are also more conventional shots of newborns precariously balanced on women's backs or nestled at the breast, and simple, intense closeups of sleeping infants. Single words appear en face to the full-page photos: "DELIGHTFUL," "MIRACULOUS," "DELICATE," "CHERISHED." What aren't they doing? Screaming, eating, moving or looking expectantly at the viewer and demanding something they cannot yet verbalize. These babies are like Geddes's other preferred subject, flowers: beautiful, silent, content. Yet fantasy and idealization are as much a part of life as gritty verit : Geddes's books have sold 15 million copies in 50 countries. (Nov.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal