Mona Kuhn is one of the most respected contemporary photographers of her time, best known for her large-scale photographs of the human form. Throughout a career spanning more than twenty years, the underlying theme of her work is her reflection on humanity’s longing for spiritual connection and solidarity. As she solidified her photographic style, Kuhn created a notable approach to the nude by developing friendships with her subjects, and employing a range of playful visual strategies that use natural light and bucolic settings to evoke a sublime sense of comfort between the human figure and its environment. Her work is natural, restful, and a reinterpretation of the nude in the canon of contemporary art.
Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic has propelled her as one of the most collectible contemporary art photographers—her work is in private and public collections worldwide and she is represented by galleries across the United States. Mona Kuhn: Works, the artist’s first retrospective, features images from throughout her career, accompanied by insightful texts by Rebecca Morse, Simon Baker, Chris Littlewood, and Darius Himes. An interview with Elizabeth Avedon provides insights into Kuhn’s creative process and the ways in which she works with her subjects and locations, and achieves the visual signature of her imagery. Published to coincide with a traveling international exhibition, opening at Fotografiska in New York, this book introduces Kuhn’s distinct aesthetic to a wide popular audience., It is an essential volume for anyone with an interest in the human form in contemporary art.
Reviews
The photographs in Mona Kuhn: Works are meditative, calming, and contemplative. Her work is simultaneously sensual and spiritual. Mona Kuhn: Works will secure her prominence as an artist who has a love for life and and the ability to manifest that love through beautiful photography.
— New York Journal of Books
Contributors
Mona Kuhn
Photographs By
Rebecca Morse
Author
Rebecca Morse is the Curator of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at LACMA.
Simon Baker
Author
Simon Baker is director of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP).
Chris Littlewood
Author
Chris Littlewood is an independent photography curator and writer. He was previously Director of Photography at Flowers Gallery, London.
Darius Himes
Author
Darius Himes is International Head of the Photographs department at Christie’s.
Elizabeth Avedon
Author
Elizabeth Avedon is a photography book and exhibition designer, independent curator, and writer.