Review: Photographer, Writer & Artist: Patrick Stull's Encounters

Author, Photographer & Artist: Patrick Stull

Contributions: Book Design & Compositions Sayali Shah:

Editor: Kate Read: Art Assistant: Rossella Scapini

Digital Contributions: Agnieszka Kania, Sayali Shah & Hermali Zavali

ISBN: 978-0692-96051-6

With his stunning collection of images displayed in his recent tome, Encounters  Patrick Stull aims to teach, understand and shape our behavior in a positive manner toward women. As he notes, the images operate in multiple disciplines: the realm of the surreal, blatant reality and the abstract. He has created postures and elements in the imagery to exemplify his view of women, the body, society and, most of all, his love for art.

Self- taught, Stull works in several artistic disciplines and his ongoing work bases itself in large-scale digital photography accompanied by sculpture cast,  paintings, poetry/prose, and drawings.

One of the many remarkable accomplishments of this coffee-table book is its rich, multi-faceted and intriguing reflections on women and their profound effect it had on me. No doubt, how you interpret the images varies from one person to another as illustrated by Stull's choice of photographs that depict his deep fascination and respect he shows towards women.

Stull points out that through his encounters with women he has been emotionally and artistically inspired to create, to write and, most of all, to think about this amazing creature and his daily actions toward all women. “There is something about women and the female form that is consistently dignified, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, cultural violence, and overt sexualization.”

It has taken Stull eighteen years to compile the two hundred thirty-two page book, which are divided into thirteen sections and which also include some short writings, that are an outgrowth of Stull's encounters with women during seventy years of his life.

The images are not only are exemplary of Stull's craft as a photographer but also the manner he can capture each subject with high sensitivity wherein each image is to be encountered and contemplated on its own terms. He informs his viewers that he is offering a different kind of encounter where we can experience a convergence between reality, the surreal and the subconscious.

Rest assured, to experience Stull's world is both compelling and an awakening of the subconscious. This is quite apparent with the choice of subject matter in each section that makes the book so intriguing.

Viewers' horizons of the female form are bound to be widened. Consider the section Transcends Comprehension where Stull asks the viewer to confront various taboos around female nudity and tattoos. In the photo, we notice a woman completely covered with tattoos which Stull hope will foster conversations around traditional beauty, notions of femininity, and the construction of the body as art. Stull writes that he wants to transport us to a place where reality, the surreal and the absurd collide, creating an artistic impression. In another spread, Replicating Oneself, Stull offers his viewers an opportunity to understand “the complexity, anxiety, despair, elation, power and love” of the female during pregnancy. He states, “I find myself fascinated by the female form as it expands, creating shapes and shadows. I listen to her words of excitement and fear, like many of my pregnant subjects.”

Stull's breathtaking images go beyond the realm of documenting specific situations. They inform via their rich depth of characters exposing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the female form.

A portion of the proceeds from the book will to to protect and empower women.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Interview With Patrick