Published Books
TE NEUES · 2002
SILVEREYE
ISBN 9783823855934
SILVEREYE is Guido Argentini's first book. This project was shot over the course of many years, in studio as well as in many different locations around the world.
The images are focusing on the human form with an artistic and sculptural approach.
The face of the model is often hidden in order to have the viewers concentrate their attention on the shape of the female’s body.
This collection includes many nudes shot in natural landscapes:
the granite rocks of Sardegna in Italy, the waves of the Mediterranean Sea in Spain, the sand dunes in Death Valley, California, the black beaches of the big island in the Hawaii islands.
Argentini shows in this book for the first time some of his silver photographs.
Using silver metallic body paint, he transforms his subjects into ethereal, almost otherworldly figures.
All photographs are black-and-white.
With the silver paint Guido is creating a striking contrast and emphasizing the shapes and lines of the human body.
Two artists from the past inspired Guido for this series of images:
Rodin with the erotic watercolors he made at the end of his life and Brancusi with his polished bronze statues.
The imagery in “Silvereye” blends the worlds of fine art and photography, making the models appear as if they are statues or living sculptures.
The book is celebrated for its aesthetic purity and its unique take on nude photography.
TE NEUES · 2005
PRIVATE ROOMS
ISBN 978-3832790813
"Private Rooms" (2005) is a provocative and intimate project that explores eroticism and sensuality.
Argentini captures women in a variety of settings from the opulent, often secluded spaces of the lavish European 5 stars hotels and elegant mansions to the trashy motel he found along the American highways creating a sense of both allure and mystery.
The models in “Private Rooms” are wearing elegant accessories: sexy lingerie, high heels, masks and corsets.
The focus remains on the aesthetic beauty of the female form and it never gets to mere voyeurism.
Argentini blends eroticism with high art, using rich textures, dramatic lighting, and elaborate settings to craft visually stunning compositions.
His attention to detail creates a luxurious and dreamlike atmosphere, where the subjects are at the same time powerful and vulnerable.
What sets “Private Rooms”apart is Argentini's ability to capture the sensuality of his subjects without objectifying them. The women in the photographs exude confidence, elegance, and strength, while the intimate settings add a layer of privacy and intimacy to the imagery.
TE NEUES · 2007
REFLECTIONS
ISBN 9783832792138
“Reflections" (2007)
In this collection, Argentini uses mirrors and reflective surfaces to explore the interplay between reality and illusion.
The women looking at themselves and studying their own image in the mirror open a space to a new perspective of sensuality.
Argentini’s masterful use of light and reflection highlights the elegance of the human body while creating abstract and mesmerizing visual effects.
DAMIANI · 2012
SHADES OF A WOMAN
ISBN 9788862081993
"Shades of a Woman" (2010)
is a photographic exploration of the many facets of femininity, presenting women in a variety of emotional, physical, and psychological states.
The book offers a nuanced and multidimensional portrayal of women, moving beyond simple beauty into deeper reflections of womanhood.
This is the first project where Guido starts to explore “story telling” images.
Each photo is like a frame taken from a movie.
The viewer can use his or her imagination to create a story using a single photogram: what has happened before that frame? What is going to happen after?
The book is divided into several chapters, each focusing on a different "shade" of women.
The chapter “Passion”, collects photographs dominated by the red color, that represents the sacred feminine.
The chapter “Questions” showcases story telling images, each one of them has a title ending with a question mark that contributes to create an additional mystery around the photograph.
Argentini uses lighting, and diverse settings to portray women in different roles, emotions, and expressions.
The book incorporates a mix of black-and-white and color photography, emphasizing different moods and tones in each chapter.
The subjects in the photos represent not only physical beauty but also the emotional and psychological depth of women, touching on themes such as strength, vulnerability, passion, and mystery.
TE NEUES · 2013
ARGENTUM
ISBN 9783832796723
“Argentum" (2013) is a striking collection of photographs that focuses on the human form; the bodies of the women and men depicted here are covered with metallic silver body paint.
Guido has been working on this project, the final collection of Guido’s silver body of work, from 1995 until 2008 shooting in different parts of the world:
Miami, Los Angeles, Firenze and Milano.
This project is highly regarded for its bold and innovative approach to nude photography.
Transforming the body into a work of art Guido is blurring the lines between realism and abstraction.
The reflective quality of the paint gives the images a polished, sculptural look, reminiscent of classical sculptures or futuristic art.
This work is a continuation of Argentini’s fascination with the sculptural and artistic qualities of the body that started with the images collected in his first book “Silvereye”.
Transforming his subjects into living statues through the application of silver paint Guido’s work takes on a surreal, almost otherworldly quality, blending the boundaries between photography, sculpture, and fine art.
By using metallic body paint, Argentini emphasizes the contours, the muscles and the forms of the human body, that appears like it was made of metal rather than flesh.
These black and white images creates an interplay between light and shadow and they get a three-dimensional feel.
DAMIANI · 2018
EROS
ISBN 9788862086325
With “Eros" (2017), Guido Argentini develops further the story telling style he started to show in “Shades of a woman”.
Guido employs a creative technique with the usage of diptychs:
Every double page represents a single “art work” with a single title.
The two juxtaposed images presented side by side:
a photograph of a woman and an image of a still life or a landscape, are often exploring contrasts or complementary elements in terms of colors and or symbols.
By pairing images together, Argentini encourages viewers to find deeper connections between the photographs and to reflect on the different facets of human sensuality and emotion.
This pairing technique creates a narrative between the two images, allowing them to communicate with each other and leaving space to the imagination of the viewer.