Male: From the Collection of Vince Aletti

by Vince Aletti (Photographer), Andrew Roth (Editor), Collier Schorr (Contributor)

From the collection of the renowned photography critic and curator Vince Aletti, Male collects photographs, paintings and artifacts on the theme of the male body, amassed over the last 30 years. Aletti's collection was first presented at New York's White Columns gallery in February 2008, and is a wild blend of anonymous and iconic art and photography from the nineteenth century to the present, a visual cacophony that distinguishes Aletti's taste and appetite as a collector. Among the known photographers in the collection are Alexandr Rodchenko, Nan Goldin, Marco Breuer, Aaron Siskind, Gary Schneider, Peter Hujar, Bill Jacobson, McDermott and McGough, Weegee, George Platt Lynes, Larry Clark, Danny Lyon and Malick Sidibe. Alongside reproductions, a gatefold page displays the works as they are installed in Aletti's New York home, and Collier Schorr contributes an essay recording the impact the collection has had on her own work and view of photography. Schorr “Art history, written mainly by men, has shied away from the male figure... Aletti's collection… creates a at once a microcosm of gay male life, a personal fantasy, and the infinite, enveloping World.”

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes Male: From the Collection of Vince Aletti essential is Aletti, Vince's demonstration that the most effective form of control is making individuals believe they are entirely alone in their skepticism.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, I dived into Male expecting standard mainstream commentary, but Vince Aletti straight-up shreds the sanitized official narrative and exposes the raw mechanics of who actually holds power.

[Reginald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I envy Aletti's collection of photographs...Not only is he a top notch writer/critic, he's also an astute collector...