| Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Lady Gaga Terry Richardson |
| Cover artist | Terry Richardson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Photography |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date | November 22, 2011 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 360 |
| ISBN | ISBN 9781455513895 |
Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson is a photo-book by American singer Lady Gaga and American photographer Terry Richardson, released on November 22, 2011 by Grand Central Publishing. The book features more than 350 pictures of Gaga as taken by Richardson during a ten-month period. In addition to photographs, it includes a foreword written by the singer about her relationship with Richardson. The duo had collaborated on other projects prior to the shooting of the book.
Upon release, Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson received positive reviews from critics, who praised both the provocative pictures as well as simpler shots of Gaga without makeup and stage costumes. The book has appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Contents |
Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson consists of photos (in black-and-white and in color)[1] that Richardson took of Gaga during a ten-month period, ranging from the singer's performance at Lollapalooza in 2010 to the final shows of her 2009–11 Monster Ball Tour.[2] More than 100,000 pictures were taken during the time period,[1] with over 350 appearing in the book.[2] The book also includes a Gaga-written foreword about her relationship with Richardson that doubles as an examination of self. "Sometimes it seems as though I've waited my entire life to be photographed by Terry Richardson," reads an excerpt of the introduction. "With Terry, the relationship extends beyond the photograph, and if you're lucky, he will teach you something truly profound about yourself."[3] Gaga posted a video of herself reading the foreword aloud on her YouTube account days before the book's release.[3]
Prior to the shooting of Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson, Gaga and Richardson had worked together on several projects, including an advertisement for New York skate shop and clothing brand Supreme, and photoshoots for Vogue Hommes Japan and Harper's Bazaar.[2] Jamie Raab, executive vice president of Grand Central Publishing, said, "We are proud to be publishing this remarkable collaboration between Lady Gaga and Terry Richardson and anticipate that it will be one of the most stunning, provocative and coveted books of the 2011 holiday season."[2]
Gaga claims that she held nothing back from Richardson, who was with her "every minute, every moment" during the photographing period. "It's completely unfiltered," the singer said. "He has photographs of me waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, the shower."[4] She added that, true to Richardson's photographing style, nothing in the book was staged. "He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture," she said.[4] Richardson also took pictures of Gaga's fans for the book, which she appreciated.[4]
Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list at number five among hardcover advice/miscellaneous books for the week ending November 26, 2011.[5] The next week, the book fell down to position fourteen on the list.[6] The book received positive reviews from critics. New York magazine's James Lim wrote, "While Lady Gaga's magazines [sic] covers are becoming increasingly ladylike (kind of), Terry Richardson's brand-new photo book, Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson, shows the wild, funky, creative Gaga that we all know and love."[7] Liesl Bradner of the Los Angeles Times expressed surprise at seeing Gaga without her makeup and stage costumes. "It’s when the singer takes a moment from the madness, pulls back her hair and ditches the costumes, that we see the real girl who is the mastermind behind the monster," Bradner wrote, adding that "fans won't be disappointed".[8] Eden Carter Wood of Diva magazine wrote, "The book contains some great portraits, but it's probably fair to say that it's really one for the superfans."[9] Arthur House from The Daily Telegraph shared Wood's opinion, adding that "'Little Monsters' [Gaga's fans] will find much to enjoy in Lady Gaga’s glossy collaboration with fashion photographer Terry Richardson."[10] Toronto Star's David Graham compared the book with Madonna's similar styled book called Sex, released in 1992. However, he found a "distinct lack of fanfare surrounding the book. Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson, is far from the shock and awe that erupted when Madonna came out with Sex, photographed by a variety of artists including Steven Meisel. Yet the newer book, simply labelled 'Gaga' on the cover, is filled with outrageous — even disturbing — photographs of the outrageous singer/ performance artist."[11]
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