Read Naked

This book highlights the entertaining idea of being completely naked while poring over a book. These pictures spark some peculiar curiosities. Who are these men and women and why were these photos made? Perhaps more importantly, what are they reading and are they enjoying themselves?

While assembling this collection of ‘found' images, a thought arose: isn’t reading in the nude a wonderful thing? A notion seemingly from a bygone era, when we would happily spend whole days in bed not worrying about whether we were wasting time. A period when we had much less shame of our bodies, when being naked did not necessarily mean being exposed. 

Therefore, to encourage the growth of this bizarre and fantastic phenomenon we invite you to submit your own ‘reading nude’ on www.readnaked.org 

• Edited by Erik Kessels
• Designed by Geraldine Macdonald and Erik Kessels
• Black and white images on pink paper, 16 x 24 cm, 148 pages, hardcover 
• Published by Skinnerboox, 2019

THE AUTHOR

Erik Kessels is a Dutch artist, curator and communication designer, with great interest in art and photography. In 2022 he wrote Complete Amateur published by Corraini Edizioni.