Serpentine

Description

Laita unveils a pantheon of surreal, twisted and beautiful creatures in an electrifying collection that illuminates the extraordinary patterns and designs of snakes. Inciting both allure and alarm, shining pastel pythons, and vibrant green vipers slither across the page. From the iridescent blue Malaysian coral snake to the candycane-striped albino Honduran milksnake, the aptly named beautiful pit viper, and the black mamba, the world's most dangerous and gorgeous snakes are pictured here, showing off their fascinating colours and textures - as well as the sensual forms their movement creates. Through Laita's lens, there is nothing they can do, no position they can take, that fails to be anything but mesmerising. Accompanying Laita's images is a profoundly illuminating essay by William T. Vollmann, winner of the 2005 National Book Award for fiction. Vollmann delves deeply into our associations with the serpents that haunt our collective human imagination, exploring themes of beauty, projections and form.

Mark Laita is an award-winning photographer with studios in Los Angeles and New York. His distinctive still life photography has been used in advertising for a long list of commercial clients including Sony, Adidas, BNW and Apple's iMacs and iPods. His non-commissioned work has also been widely exhibited; his flower images recently featured in a series of stamps for the United States Postal Service.