Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You to Love Me

Image of Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You to Love Me
Author(s): 
Release Date: 
April 21, 2013
Publisher/Imprint: 
Rizzoli
Pages: 
288
Reviewed by: 

There is a reason why you may not have heard of Miles Aldridge, and it is the same reason why this book is one of those memorable experiences that comes with discovery of the unexpected.

Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You To Love Me is an exhilarating adventure seen through the eyes of a 21st century photographer/artist who enjoys little popularity in the United States and much greater notoriety and recognition overseas.

There is no doubt that this premier volume dedicated to his photography will be a treasure for the cognoscenti of fashion and photography as well as for those who thrive on being visually stimulated. Mr. Aldridge is a photographer whose work is unmistakable, unforgettable, and surreal, offering the viewer a unique perspective. It is possible to compare his “art” to that of Helmut Newton but in “dazzling Technicolor” plus steroids!

In more recent times, one might make the assumption that the work of Mr. Aldridge is often referenced in current fashion publications, but the homages never reach the heights of the original creator.

The seasoned fashion lover will see the riffs on Elizabeth Taylor, Avedon, and even possibly Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, but the most obvious aspect of every photograph is that not one of them is off the cuff, extemporaneous: each is a tableau, brilliantly conceived down to every minute detail and all frozen in zombielike or somnambulant state.

Planet Aldridge is a luxury world where surreality reigns. All is perfect, yet something is amiss.

This volume will be classified as one of the great monographs of the 21st century. Its presence will expose just how sheltered we as readers and aesthetes are in terms of the international visual dialogue not fully realized on this side of the Atlantic.

Grab one, cherish it, love it, display it proudly. You will never forget Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You to Love Me.