Girls, Guns and Ropes by Josef Botello

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We love a good obsession here at Mondopopsickle.com and Josef Botello’s photography is one of the most interesting and eye-catching we have seen in some time.

The title tells it like it is but doesn’t reveal the deeper beauty in Mr. Botello’s work. It would be easy for a less intellectual eye to dismiss Josef Botello’s work as simplistic or even crude if they flipped through the pages too briskly.

We received the review copy several weeks ago and it took us a long time to review it not because we didn’t like it or didn’t know which angle to review it from, but because we kept flipping through it and finding a richer subtext.

The female nude is beautiful, no matter what shape, size, color or form we are talking about. Introducing fantasy elements into the mix, (such as said guns, ropes, and other objects and environments) in no way cheapens the beauty of the female in question, but rather enhances the setting and creates a story within the viewers mind.

MixofPix has begun to unleash some intriguing collections of photography in bite-size books that are must-have collectibles at reasonable prices, and with Girls, Guns and Ropes they only raise their worth even more. It is a beautiful book from a gifted visionary whose work we might not be lucky enough to see if it weren’t for this wonderful publisher.

Josef Botello’s world is less pornographic and more fun than the title might suggest to some. The women are incredibly beautiful and the environments highly charged. There is a feeling of hyper-realism that radiates sensuality and pulses from the page. (One might imagine Josef Botello’s photo shoots to be more like a hunt, where he stalks and searches for the perfect moment to capture his wild prey for eternity.)

Anyone who knows photography knows that it is impossible for a photographer to stay detached from his subjects. Josef Botello clearly creates a comfortable shooting environment and shares a connection with his models that brings the subjects to life. (Look into the eyes of every model he displays and you will see a thousand unfolding secrets.)

In 160 pages you will see women bound in ropes, holding guns, knives and other dangerous objects (we love the samurai sword wielding image quite a bit from page 135) but you will not find any signs of these models playing the part of victims as these women hold the power and the control.

In addition to the collection of beautiful women brandishing powerful weapons and being bound, there is a thought-provoking and insightful foreword from Gary Bishop (Josef Botello’s photography instructor) which is not only a wonderfully revealing piece about the artist in question but of what is art and why all art deserves protection.

This is a wonderful book and should be given a careful look by fans of the female form and photography that refuses to play it safe.

Terry
May 2006