Watson, Albert

Strip Search

Auckland, NZ: PQ Blackwell, 2010. Limited Edition. Hardcover in Clamshell Box. Signed by Albert Watson. Scottish-born Albert Watson (b.1942) managed to develop a unique eye for photography despite being born blind in one eye. He emigrated to the United States in 1970 and began a very successful career in fashion and commercial photography, shooting some of the most iconic photographs in American zeitgeist such as the 1973 photo of Alfred Hitchcock with a dead goose in Harper’s Bazaar, the 1993 nude shoot with 19-year-old Kate Moss, the portrait of Steve Jobs for the posthumous biography written by Walter Isaacson, and hundreds of other well-known photographs of movie stars, rock stars, rappers, supermodels, even President Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II. Photo District News named him one of the most influential photographers of all time in 2004, and he was inducted into the Scottish Fashion Awards Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Watson an Order of the British Empire for “services to photography.” Watson’s solo exhibitions have been held in many countries, including Scotland, Germany, Italy, Morocco, and Russia. His fifth collection of photographs Strip Search was published with 400 prints of landscapes, still-lifes, and portraits captured in Las Vegas, Nevada, also known as “Sin City” where anything can happen. Watson chose Las Vegas because of its surreal nature, graphic displays, and eccentric people. The legendary Las Vegas Strip is flooded by global tourists, offering the glamour and excitement of casinos, restaurants, and theatres, overshadowing the seedy underbelly of addiction, sex trafficking, and violence. The book opens with an essay by Tom Wolfe (1930-2018) entitled “Las Vegas (What?!) Las Vegas (Can’t Hear You! Too Noisy) Las Vegas!!!!” originally published in 1965. The prints in this collection put on display Watson’s sense of contrast and composition, showing people, places, and things in various states of dress and positions. One woman in particular, Breaunna, dazzled Watson with her photogeneity and expression, and she is featured frequently in hotel rooms and lounges both beautifully dressed and starkly nude. She is featured on the interior of the clamshell case. A mix of both color and black-and-white prints, the various subjects coalesce into a fusion of sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. [ISBN: 978-0-473-17389-0]. From the collection of Allen Tobias, former assistant to Allen Ginsberg, archivist, essayist, venerable man-of-letters & our esteemed colleague at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu). Large-Format (11.25” x 14.25”) Hardcovers in padded rubber contained within a fabric-lined clamshell case: Limited Edition, one of five versions (with 100 copies each) of the limited edition that each included an exclusive signed print along with the two volumes, though we acquired this set without said print included. The photos used for the exclusive prints are included in the collection, and the quality of this edition would be a unique addition to anyone with a passion for or interest in photography. Lettered “XX” (presumably copy 20 in Roman numerals) and signed by Albert Watson in greenish-gray felt pen on the front endpaper of volume one (vertical). Padded rubber covers are debossed with title in silver. The texture is almost leather-like, but the surface is very sensitive to indents and scratching. Volume one is in Good condition with a few small notches made in the rubber along the top edges of front, back covers near the spine, minor wear to corners. Some rubbing and scratching is visible on both front and back covers. Interior is pristine. Volume two likewise is in Good condition with moderate wear and cracking along the spine along with similar rubbing and scratching on the front, back covers. Interior likewise pristine. Clamshell case is in Fine condition though dust clings to it; no visible deformities except very minute, sporadic spots of rubbing. An extra handling fee will be added for shipping due to the weight of this item. Good / Fair. [Item #5508]

Price: $600.00