The controversial fashion photographer Terry Richardson will launch a new book during New York Fashion week, which starts on September 8.
Titled Skinny, the book is a tribute to his assistant and girlfriend Alex “Skinny” Bolotow, and features intimate images of the couple’s private life. Unlike his previous work, which has drawn heavily on candid, sexualized imagery, Richardson will share some of his more personal, family photographs in his latest publication. For example, the book features photographs of Bolotow breastfeeding the couple’s five-month-old twins, swimming, and reclining on a couch with the couple’s pet dog.
According to Page Six, publishers Angela Hill and David Owens of Idea Books encouraged Richardson to put together the publication, which will be on sale in a limited edition of 1,000 copies.
Skinny presents a markedly different image than that portrayed in Richardson’s previous publications including Terryworld, and Kibosh, which also included explicit images of Bolotow performing sex acts on Richardson.
Consequently, a 2014 exposé published by New York Magazine called Richardson “a proud pervert,” and described his work as “misogynistic,” “extremely explicit,” and “pornographic,” and reported that the photographer has faced numerous accusations of exploiting young models. Bolotow has always defended Richardson, however. “I think part of being a strong woman is owning the decisions that you’ve made in your life,” Bolotow told New York Magazine. “Trying to put the onus onto someone else for your own decisions is really cowardly and kind of dishonest.”
Despite the accusations, Richardson has enjoyed sustained success driven by the fashion industry’s desire to be associated with the candor and rawness of his imagery. Meanwhile, the art world has also supported his forays into fine art, and he has recently enjoyed solo exhibitions featuring his portraits at Galerie Perrotin in Paris in 2015 and Hong Kong in 2016.