Justin James Muir
Available for $45 at BookOfBeards.com
This is a beautiful book. Photographer Justin Muir presents stark black-and-white photographs of 86 bearded men (with some lucky subjects getting more than one picture), and each photo, at a luxuriant 8.25 by 10.5 inches, is riveting. The lack of color or other distraction (each picture is taken against a dark grey backdrop) focuses the viewer on what is important: the individual beardsman, and the aspect of his personality that he chose to project during the shoot.
And as someone who knows several of these guys, it is interesting to see how each portrayed himself. For example, the photos of Jonathan Rice capture the happy, friendly guy I've always found him to be:
And although I don't know Joe Camacho on a personal level, his photos certainly capture the cheerfulness and joie de vivre he routinely displays on stage:
Travis Oliver's photograph, on the other hand, emphasizes the intensity and focus I've seen him bring to discussions on topics he cares passionately about, such as how the world of competitive facial hair should evolve:
Of course, a photo can hide as much as it reveals. For example, consider this photo of Anthony Francolino. Sorry, buddy, but as much as you like to play the cool, tough guy on stage, we all know you're a big softy underneath (he knows the eyes would give him away):
Although the images are definitely the focus of A Book of Beards, the book also contains short essays by, or interviews with, several of the beardsmen (with brief quotes from a few others). Each is separately interesting, but most focus on the theme of individuality - a worthy and germane topic, but also, perhaps ironically, somewhat repetitive if one is reading straight through. I admit that my favorite essay is cover model Mike Cummings' meditation on how the nature of time intertwines with growing a beard:
Growing a beard is not something that can be rushed. It's a slow process, staring at you in the mirror everyday. It is the epitome of the word "time". And time can do a lot of things to a man. It can build him memories, friendships, and loves. It can take those very things away.
The question I am inevitably asked when meeting someone is, "I wish I could grow a beard like that. How do you do it?" To which I respond with the only truthful answer there is... time.
The $45 price tag is steep, but well worth it for the right audience. As I said above, it's a beautiful book. Mr. Muir self-published the volume, which could have been disastrous: self-published art books are frequently shoddy affairs with poorly reproduced images. That is not the case here. The book is sturdy and the large images are crisp and clear. A Book of Beards may be expensive, but quality costs money, and this is definitely a quality production.
In addition, the high cover price is not lining Mr. Muir's pockets. Initial proceeds from the book are being donated to a friend of the photographer who has been struck by cancer but is without health insurance. Later proceeds will be donated to cancer charities. So it's all for a good cause, mirroring the laudable trend among the beardsmen themselves to use their facial hair competitions and events to raise money for charitable causes.
Nonetheless, A Book of Beards' hefty price tag may make it a hard-sell to people not already part of the facial hair community. But for anyone who already has an interest, it's definitely a worthwhile investment.
(All photos above courtesy and copyright Justin James Muir. Also, in case the FTC is reading: I bought and paid for my copy of A Book of Beards through Mr. Muir's normal ordering process. No promotional or review copy was offered or received.)
No comments:
Post a Comment