INTRODUCTION to Blow Me a Kiss
Alice Harris is a storyteller. Her language is photography. She possesses a unique vision shaped by international travel and years spent in the vanguard of fashion and entertainment. The stories she tells come alive in vibrant colors and vivid shades of black and white. She inspires us, stirs our imagination, and sparks our fantasies. Her aesthetic is bold, sensual, and always beautiful. She invites us to view our world through her lens, and what we see is unforgettable.
As the acclaimed, best-selling author of The White T, The Blue Jean, and The Wedding Album, Alice Harris curated a stunning collection of photographs by the world’s most groundbreaking artists. In Blow Me a Kiss, she explores our fascination with lips print, the luscious pout of supermodel’s, even lipstick’s power to transform drab into fab. Spanning more than 100 years, the work of Francesco Scavullo, David LaChapelle, Andy Warhol, Erwin Blumenfeld, Roy Lichtenstein, Yelena Yemchuk, Man Ray, Elliott Erwitt, and several other visual virtuosos depict lips of every shape and size in nearly every kind of setting. These images have graced Vogue, LIFE, and Harper’s Bazaar, adorned album covers and movie posters, and appeared in museums and galleries all across the globe.
Some lips are so famous they speak for themselves. Moments from classic cinema capture Bogie and Bacall’s “prelude” to a kiss and Lolita’s seductive gaze. Anthony Quinn and Anna Karina casually unwind with a smoke while the lips of Grace Jones, Michael Jackson, and Liza Minnelli illuminate striking works of art. Whether music legends like Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, and Debbie Harry or silver screen goddesses like Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich, some of the most celebrated faces in pop culture give lips a good name.
On every page of Blow Me a Kiss, Alice Harris offers a gateway to untold pleasures. Turn the page and let the lips tell the story.