13
Articulation/thedonotpress
Through
its 176 black and white pages, 13 provides
a juxtaposition of imagery and words: photographic nudes by
Marc Atkins are 'illustrated' with text commissioned from thirteen
writers of note, two of whom are former musicians.
The
authors range from novelist Julian Rathbone to New York columnist
Maggie Estep via Bill Drummond (best known for his part in confrontationist
pop/art unit, KLF) and Groupie author, Jenny Fabian. Some, like
Nicholas Royle and Stella Duffy, are rising stars of British
literature; others, such as biographer James Sallis and journalist
Mick Farren (formerly of 60s psych underground garage band The
Deviants, 70s band The Pink Fairies and a contributor to
NME) are seasoned veterans. All thirteen were given a nude
photo and asked to write an accompanying piece.
The results are a mixed bag but always interesting and often
provocative. Some of the prose seems to have absolutely nothing
to do with the image that precedes it (James Sallis), while
other authors seem to have gone to great pains to make their
words entirely in keeping with photo (Lauren Henderson). Mick
Farren's poetic entry is short yet sublime, former KLF mad man
Bill Drummond muses over nudes from Ancient Greece through to
Asian Babes circa '98, Maxim Jakubowski's Parisian sojourn is
almost pornographic and Miles Gibson goes off on his own journey
through an umbilicus.
Arty,
yet accessible and some of the nude shots are exquisite. Naturally,
it's priced just right at 13 quid.
ADRIAN SMITH