NUDARE

Nudare is Nazraeli's third publication on the botanical still lifes of Ron van Dongen.

Like the first two books in this trilogy - Alba Nero (1999, now out of print) and Vulgaris (2000, ISBN 3-923922-86-8) - Nudare confirms van Dongen's position as the most innovative and exciting artist working in the genre today.

This large format book contains 32 duotone plates printed on matt art paper, hand-bound in grey cloth with a tipped-in cover plate.

Ron van Dongen's work has been exhibited throughout widely, and is housed in important collections throughout the United States and Europe. "I think of slender Japanese bowls, porcelain pinched to ultimate thinness, unbearably fragile.

The purest shapes, drawn, pushed, picked by the artist's hands, and then isolated, edited down.

This elegant poise is remarkably captured in the tulip 'Blushing Beauty'.

The softness frozen in time tricks those who think it may not break into thousands of pieces.

The magnolias are carved from thick wax: heavy, scented, floating, laden, and glowing.They are the corsage dressing the light box, invited to the modernist party, pulling you in, innocently tempting you to open the petals, or cup the shape in your hands, stroking the blush colour strained into the form."