Erwin Wurm’s De Profundis, published by Hatje Cantz, collects a series of hand-painted photographs representing naked or barely dressed men posing in front of the camera.

Using a variety of media, such as drawing, photography and painting, the artist takes inspiration from the ideal beauty of the Gothic language, where the representation of the body is defined by an introspective and ascetic feel.

The theatrical atmosphere contained in the pictures turns each frame into a stage where the subject plays the role of an actor; in several cases, the performance involves the artist himself.

Passing of time – thus growing old – is the theme the Austrian artist invites you to reflect upon as you flip through the pages, while facing the actual appearance of a 21st Century human body.

Erwin Wurm, De Profundis
166 pp., € 25.00
www.hatjecantz.de