Visionaire #46: Uncensored [2005]

Near Fine copy. Numbered from an edition of 2,500.
Slipcased, 12.75 x 10 in. / 100 pgs / 51 color / 13 bw - 9781888645545

Photographer and guest curator Mario Testino uncovers all in this new edition of Visionaire devoted to sex. Widely known for his iconic fashion images and celebrity portraits, Testino is also an avid collector of contemporary art. Here, he chooses a selection of provocative and often graphic pieces by artists such as Ghada Amer, Cecily Brown, Marlene Dumas, Tracey Emin, Angus Fairhurst, Sarah Lucas, Vik Muniz, Thomas Ruff and Lisa Yuskavage.

Testino pushes the envelope by including in this issue of the limited edition quarterly a parcel containing five of his own previously unpublished photographic prints. In addition, you can expect Visionaire's trademark boundary-breaking design, plus the extras, in this case, a silk-screened Plexiglas case containing a hardcover book of both color and black-and-white images as well as customized tactile inserts including latex, embroidery, embossing and a swatch of supermodel Gisele's bedsheets. In other words, sex isn't just for reproductions.

Because of the too-hot-to-handle contents, Uncensored also comes with a discretionary warning: “This issue of Visionaire contains graphic images of a sexual nature. If you find this kind of material offensive, you should not purchase it.” If you don't, though, you should.

From Visionaire: In 46 UNCENSORED, Mario Testino reveals a keen sense of contemporary art, curating a selection of scintillating artworks themed around desire and sex. Testino selects sexually provocative works by artists like Marlene Dumas, Thomas Ruff, Ghada Amer, and Tracey Emin, many of which were rendered on customized tactile inserts like latex. “Sex is so integral to life,” Testino says. “If it wasn’t for sex, life would not exist. From that, one can derive so much inspiration.” The issue also contains a special portfolio of the photographer’s unpublished work, including five original prints of couples in their most intimate moments. A swatch of supermodel Gisele Bündchen’s bedsheets accompanies each copy.