Hollywood Splash
- Book Review,
by Veronique Vial
From Publishers Weekly
In the ultimate gimmicky photography book, French-born photographer Vial (Women Before 10 A.M.) captures two quintessentially Hollywood images: movie stars and swimming pools. Most of the full-color photos feature those two images, although some deviate, showing stars urinating or canoeing on a lake, or non-stars (like the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Team) flaunting their stuff. Vial's images tend toward the sexy (there's Rosanna Arquette pouring a pitcher of water over her black lingerie-clad body, and loads of other shots feature wet t-shirts); some show stars skinny-dipping. Many reveal celebrities mid-air, about to take the plunge. The settings-often subjects' backyards-contribute to the book's insider feel, and there's something pleasantly unpolished about the image of Sasha Lazard (Dark Harbor) hiding her head between her arms as she dives in to a dark pool in a turquoise dress, or of Tom Cruise grinning euphorically just before he lands in a glimmering rectangle of water. No captions accompany the photos; readers must refer to a listing at the book's end to figure out who's who. 232 color photos. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Integral to the image of Southern California glamour and success, the luxurious backyard pool symbolizes fun in the sun for those have made it-vivid, aqueous proof of the American Dream hard at play. As an icon of prosperity, as well as an instrument of a healthy lifestyle, the pool is one of the supreme status symbols dating back to the time of The Great Gatsby and a glamorous Hollywood of the silent era. More than an athletic facility, the pool is designed for socializing, frolicking, sunbathing, skinny-dipping...in short having loud, splashy fun. In Hollywood Splash, famed photographer Véronique Vial, author of the blockbuster bestseller Women Before 10 A.M. (powerHouse Books HC: 1998, PB: 2001), takes a dip into the private pools and captures rare and unguarded moments of some of today's top actors and models playfully cavorting and hamming it up for the camera. Hollywood Splash includes photographs of models Claudia Schiffer, Heidi Klum, and Angie Everhart; actresses Jane Fonda, Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Kristanna Loken, Tara Reid, Rosanna Arquette, Allison Janney, Claire Forlani, Lisa Marie, Jennifer Beals, Lauren Ambrose, Jennie Garth, Rachel Leigh Cook, Melissa Joan Hart, and Jennifer Grey; directors Brett Ratner, and Bryan Singer; actors Andy Garcia, Jackie Chan, Benjamin Bratt, William H. Macy, Mario Lopez, Corey Feldman, Jim Belushi, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Chiklis, Blair Underwood, Seth Green, and Esai Morales; musician Dave Navarro; an J-Lo's ex-husband Cris Judd-as you've never seen them before. Sopping wet!
About the Author
Véronique Vial was born in France and moved to Los Angeles in 1989. An exclusive backstage photographer for the famed Cirque du Soleil and recipient of a World Press Award, Vial has exhibited her work at the prestigious Visa Pour l'Image in Perpignan and at the renowned Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. Vial is the author of numerous photo books including Women Before 10 A.M., Men Before 10 A.M. Too, and "O": Cirque du Soleil at Bellagio, all from powerHouse Books. Vial lives in Los Angeles, California.
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