Rödermark, 22.02.2010. The art book "desire – From Wish to Lust", combines sensual art photography of the female body with a single erotic narration.  It is due to be published in March 2010 and shows, in the interplay between image and text, the various different viewpoints of the sexes regarding female eroticism. While Magda
Vapor expresses the female perspective in a series of episodic narrations, Ernst Hartig documents the male point of view in more than 90 fully or semi-nude photographs.

The largely black-and-white art works capture the aesthetic aspect of the female body in various fleeting moments. Sexually charged poses interchange with bondage motifs, playful contortions of the body with more relaxed sitting positions. In this, the artist does not pursue the common concept of ideal beauty. Portrayed are normal women who willingly and naturally succumb to the exploratory gaze of the viewer. The models are mostly positioned in front of natural-looking backgrounds, which emphasises the naturalness of the individual bodies. Apart from the familiar accessories, such as
stilletto heels, pearl necklaces and fish-net stockings, large Rhine pebbles and the abstract shapes of roots underline and emphasise the force of female, sexual energy.

The counterpart to the sensual art photos is presented by Vapor's narration "Breakout", which tells of the life crisis of a city dweller. Only with the help of feverish sexual dreams, which give him insights into the most intimate female fantasies , does the main character, Sam, find a way out of his isolation. Explicitly expressed in words, these dreams reflect the very diversity of sexual power shown by the women in the photographs. For, just like Sam, Hartig is fascinated by the female craving that he shows in his snapshots.

In this, the book presents a continual invitation to change the perspective: Photographs and text are equally important and shown side by side, thus constantly tempting one to change one's view, not to gaze fixedly at one point. Originating independently from one another, words and images are nevertheless related to each other and complement each other to create a demanding, sensual experience.

"desire – from Wish to Lust" developed from the project "wood-stone-skin", which the photographer launched in cooperation with the artist and choreographer Alejandra Sepulveda in November 2007.  The aim was to capture artistically the self-confident eroticism of normal women with the help of experimental, digital, sensual art photography - irrespective of dress-size, age and cultural background.

"desire – From Wish to Lust" is published in German and in English. The book can be obtained in the bookshops or directly via the Sonderpunkt Verlag publishing house.
In addition, the individual photographs contained therein can be purchased at www.ernst-hartig.de

The book publication is to be accompanied by an exhibition with the same name in the gallery of the Videor Art Foundation in Rödermark, near Frankfurt. A vernissage in the ComCenter is to open the three-month exhibition on 24 March 2010 at 6.30 pm, on the occasion of which the authoress Magda Vapor will read from her narration. In addition to photographs to be seen in the book, Hartig shows further sensual art photographs of women from the project series "wood-stone-skin" It is intended to present the exhibition in conjunction with readings at other venues. Interested parties are kindly requested to contact Kirstin Trefz-Herd: 06074-888-209 orinfo@videor-art-foundation.com.

Visitors may attend the exhibition from 25 March to 25 June 2010, from Monday to Thursday from 9.00 - 5.30 p.m. and on Fridays from 9.00 – 5.00 pm.

Title:                     “desire – From Wish to Lust”
Format:                Hardcover with cover, 21 x 21 Centimeter
Price:                    63,00 Euro
Publishing house:   sonderpunkt Verlag (www.sonderpunkt-verlag.de)
ISBN No:              978-3-938329-61-0

The Softcover version of the book – exhibition catalogue at the same time - is purchasable during the particular exhibitions in limited edition.

Opening hours:
Mo–Fr: 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Fr: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
and on request