Persona - Francois Nars

Persona reveals an extraordinary production of cinematic, avant-garde portraits of an exclusive list of contemporary creative icons that include such celebrities, artists, designers, musicians, and actors as Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Kyle MacLachlan, Sharon Stone, Bella Hadid, Isabelle Adjani, Sigourney Weaver, Cindy Sherman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Charlotte Rampling, Marina Abramovic, Liv Tyler, Christian Lacroix, Tadao Ando, and Marianne Faithfull. Nars has never sought to hide the imperfections and oddities that give faces their personality, but rather to accentuate them in dramatic and surprising ways, mixing and matching a minimal array of products to strike a delicate balance between nakedness and artifice think bold, dark, painstakingly crafted eyes offset by clear, almost-bare skin. The arresting stylized images are shot in color against a rich black background with dramatic lighting, and explore themes of provocation, sharp humor, and unconventional beauty, always with an edgy dose of glamour. This volume is a true collectors item for style, culture, and photography connoisseurs alike.