The Women - Hardcover

Dobbins, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1885183011 ISBN 13: 9781885183019

Publisher: Artisan, 1994

Synopsis

For thousands of years, the muscular male body has been an object of admiration and a primary subject of art. Women, on the other hand, have rarely been celebrated for their physical strength or muscular development. But in the late 1970s, women discovered the sport of competitive bodybuilding and began doing the same kind of muscle-specific weight training as their male counterparts.

As a result, we are seeing the emergence of a cultural phenomenon without precedent--women attempting to develop the ultimate degree of muscle size, shape, definition and proportion primarily for aesthetic, rather than athletic, purposes. The fact that many women are now both willing and able to devote themselves to creating muscular bodies is one indication of our changing perception of the potential of the female body as we begin the 21st century.

In The Women, author and photographer Bill Dobbins presents eighty full-color and duotone photographs of top female competitive bodybuilders in a stunning visual exploration of this new phenomenon, and convincingly shows that muscles on women can indeed be beautiful. The photographs, combined with an enlightening text, explore the implications of this new aesthetic for art, sport, and our overall view of the capabilities of women. An unusual and fascinating book for anyone interested in fitness, feminism, photography, or the complex issue of gender, The Women is certain to challenge many perceptions.

About this title

About the Author:

Bill Dobbins is a photographer, writer, and video maker who has been working with champion bodybuilders for more than a decade. He is the author of five books, including Arnold's Modern Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. His photographs of bodybuilders have been the subject of several one-man exhibitions and have been featured in Joe Weider's publications Muscle & Fitness and Flex. His work has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, Penthouse, Essence, and Newlook.

From Library Journal:

Having experienced a surge in popularity in the 1980s, women's bodybuilding produced a number of how-to books by stars such as Lisa Lyon, Gladys Portugues, and Rachel McLish. Dobbins's book is a gallery of 50 color and black-and-white "art" photos (read: there is some tasteful nudity) showing off the physiques of female bodybuilders in studio settings. The brief text recaps the muscles-vs.-beauty controversy in the sport and emphasizes the special obstacles women face, physically and psychologically, in the form of criticism from family and friends. This book champions the "muscles are beautiful" side. Dobbins, who coauthored The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (LJ 9/1/85) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, has extensive photographic experience with bodybuilders, and it shows in these crisp, artful photographs. Recommended for public libraries.
Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, B.C.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Artisan
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 1885183011
• ISBN 13: 9781885183019
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128