Product Description

The most comprehensive review of body art ever assembled. Throughout history people have adorned and customized the body. Polhemus? text looks at this phenomenon from an anthropological perspective while Randall?s photographs touch all the bases - body painting, tattooing, piercing, corsets, scarring, hair, jewellery, masks and shoes - in graphic and dramatic style. A celebration of the most extraordinary, it also provokes us to think about the way we decorate, dress and adorn as we do.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #305488 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 120 pages

About the Author
Ted Polhemus is a journalist and photographer. He is a widely-used consultant on youth marketing and style trends and is the author of Bodystyles, Streetstyle, Fashion & Anti-Fashion and Popstyles.

Customer Reviews

A smpathetic look at alternative lifestyles
The Customised Body deals with the subject of body modification in a non confrontational and sypmathetic manner. The subjects are allowed a forum to prove their lifestyle is simply an informed choice and not a rebellion. The photographs are beautiful portraits of beautiful people outside the realms of "normal" society. The book also deals with the historical aspects of body modification, from African neck streching to Maori tattooing. This aspect of the book has been deeply researched and very well put together. The Customised Body Deals with each subject chapter by chapter from tattooing and piercing to masks and shoes, make up and hair. In a world where "freaks" are ridiculed and put on show, it is a welcome change when the differences which make us human are celebrated instead of surpressed.

Just what I wanted...
As the last review of this book, I have to give it an amazing rating. I am interested in body art and the "outcast society" but this book is fascinating. I sometimes consider myself a bit extreme, but this book brings me back to reality as I see people who do things out of the ordinary every day. These pictures are black and white (in a brown fashion..im sure you know what I mean?!) The pictures are beautifully taken and illustrated, and people have left their own comments on how they feel about themselves and the impact they have on society. I think this book is a must for anyone who is vaguely interested in art and people who arent afraid to go to the extremes.

Loved this book
As a keen photographer and body art enthusiast, I bought this book mainly for the pictures. I wasnt disappointed. The pictures are beautifully posed, in black and white/monochrome,featuring all sort of piercings and a range of tattoos. Next to the pictures are small paragraphs from the people in the pictures, explaining why they had their modifications. If you want a reference book its probably not your thing, as the text isnt particulaly informative, but from an art perspective, highly recommended.