Herb Ritts - Kazu - 1995

Copy and dust-jacket in near fine condition.

First edition and first printing. Hardcover. A collection of Herb Ritts' highly stylized black and white photographs of Japanese soccer star Kazuyoshi Miura. A very near fine copy in photographically illustrated boards in a very near fine dust jacket and with a close to near fine obi that has some rubbing, minor wear and some tears. A nicely printed and designed book.

Kazu is a highly celebrated, limited-edition photography book by the world-renowned American fashion and fine-art photographer Herb Ritts, published in 1995 by Parco in Tokyo. The book is a deeply aesthetic, sensual, and idealized portrait of the legendary Japanese soccer superstar Kazuyoshi Miura, universally known as "Kazu" or "King Kazu".

In line with his iconic, lifelong fascination with the male form, Ritts utilizes the book to explore the sheer beauty, strength, and symmetry of the athlete's physique.

Kazuyoshi Miura was 28 years old when the book was shot. He was already a cultural phenomenon in Japan, having moved to South America alone at age 15 to master soccer before returning to single-handedly put Japan’s J-League on the global map. Ritts captures him as a "soccer field artist" rather than just a traditional athlete.

The monograph consists of 37 striking duotone illustrations. True to Ritts' signature style, the imagery leans heavily on strong contrast, natural elements, bold geometric interactions, and clean, un-gimmicky compositions. The athlete is photographed wearing little to nothing, emphasizing classical proportions.

The coffee table book was art directed and designed by Sam Shahid. Shahid was a frequent collaborator of Ritts who also designed his acclaimed photo book Africa.

It is an oversized hardcover quarto/folio edition comprising roughly 52 to 54 pages.