CThru.com Presents Tony Ward

On Location Ibiza

……….As soon as my producer Suzaan Talib spotted her on the beach, I knew that she would approach the dark skinned brazilian beauty. Suzy never minced words when scouting for models. She just has a way with people that is very forthright, honest and convincing.

Suzy wandered over to where Cindy was set up on the beach, just yards away from our location. Within minutes she returned to introduce us, a lovely woman from South America who was visiting Ibiza on holiday.

The next day I arranged to take photos of Cindy at Bambuddha Grove, a lovely restaurant and lounge just outside the center of town.

South American Beauty

She was quite the exhibitionist, very quickly removing her clothes and accesssories one article at a time.

Anne

……….I was shooting for Met-Art.com for a while. The models had to be young and naturally beautiful. On one of my many sojourns to Amsterdam, Anne stopped by the apartment to be cast for a Met shoot.

As soon as she disrobed I thought for sure she was perfect for the shoot I had in mind. Test photos are very helpful for making more definitive creative decisions down the road.

It was the fall of 1999; I was working on an assignment in Munich, Germany for Penthouse Magazine and was scheduled to produce a shoot for Dutch art director, Onno Klein who was working for Penthouse, Holland at the time. Onno and I met in Munich to produce the shoot, and he brought along a beautiful Dutch model from Amsterdam for me to photograph at my hotel.
During the sitting, Onno kept telling me how much he thought I would love the place of his birth and that I would absolutely fall in love with the Red Light District, and the general openness of the culture in The Netherlands, as the attitudes and atmosphere in Holland at the time catered to creative types like myself. He was very convincing, and shortly after returning to the states, I received an email from him to schedule a production in Amsterdam the next time I returned to Europe.
Onno sent me pictures of a variety of Dutch models to select from, and promised to make them available for shoots upon my arrival to perhaps the most creative, liberal, international city in the world.

On my very first trip to Amsterdam, I decided to photograph a friend of the art director and well-known model by the name of Justine Bakker. Knowing that I was new to the city, Justine volunteered to show me around the beautiful quaint city and introduced me to Frans Verlinden, the owner of the famous Winston Hotel and well-known patron of the arts in Holland. Justine realized that if I met Frans, I would have direct access to many artists who worked in and around the city, including Paul Blanca, Micha Klein, Erwin Olaf, Aldert Mantje and others. Frans and I became best friends and he introduced me to his closest friends, two of them happened to be the producer’s of the grand fetish party called WASTELAND.

Justine Bakker

Frans arranged a meeting for me to meet with Wasteland organizers, Rene Meuessen and Jeroen Oosterhout. They were apparently already familiar with my work and commissioned me to produce a picture for a poster that would symbolize and promote the next Wasteland event. They also invited me to document the event as it occurred twice yearly which resulted in the publication of this monograph a decade later. I was happily introduced to the greatest party on earth.

Rene Meuessen

Jeroen Oosterhout

The book is in memoriam to our dear friend and brother, Frans Verlinden who passed away suddenly and way to soon, in the spring of 2006. It would not have been created if it wasn’t for the assistance and guidance of Frans.Verlinden. We love you Frans, always.

In Memorium

Cover

……….The studio is pleased to announce that TW’s most recent book publication entitled WASTELAND, has been printed in France, and first edition copies are making their way to international book stores in the coming days. Unfortunately do to the volcanic eruption that took place in Iceland on Wednesday April 14th, the scheduled book signing at the April 17th Wasteland party in Amsterdam is canceled. The publisher La Musardine, Paris has made arrangements for a representative of the company to attend the party on TW’s behalf and will continue to make books available for sale at the event.

Josselein Meijs

Josselein Meijs wrote an insightful essay to accompany the publication about the evolution of the party and its participants;
“If you dare to be different… If you are without prejudice… If you love living on the edge… If exploring your wildest fantasies makes you tick… ”

Happy Couple

………It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you part two of the photographs of Cuba by master photographer Eric Mencher. He’s covered regional, national and international assignments from 1987 to 2009 for the Philadelphia Inquirer, including the civil war in Chechnya, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda and the post apartheid era in South Africa. He is the recipient of numerous national and international awards including World Press Photo, pictures of the year.

Beach Scene

Swim

A Stroll Through Havana

Marina Hemingway

To learn more about Eric Mencher’s photographs log on to www.EricMencher.com.

Castro

Posted by Eric Mencher

Cuba is truly a country on the edge. It’s government, for 50 years the authoritative body over the island’s 11,000,000 people, seems forever on the verge of collapse. The people themselves live constantly in flux, with the promise of freedom one day or prison the next. In Old Havana, people lurk in and of the shadows and the sun’s constant glare seems to ask more questions than it illuminates.

Fishing Along The Malecon

Havana is a street photographer’s paradise. The alleys and streets are a constant swarm of human activity, and moments surreal or all too real unfold in an unending stream of live theater. In the five times I’ve visited the island since 1997, there remains one constant in Cuba: the love of life, whether it’s a couple in embrace on the Malecon or kids who seem to dance in the streets to the beat of the ubiquitous music.

Cuban Music

We can learn a lot from the Cubanos–in the face of a harsh living standard, they always seem to maintain their joy, dignity and spirit.

Young Boy Plaza Of The Cathedral In Havana

Streets Of Havanna

Baseball Field In Pinar del Rio

Cuba's Light And Shadow

To learn more about Eric Mencher’s photographs, please log on to www.EricMencher.com.

TW met with his long term publisher Claude Bard and his assistant Anne Hautecoeur yesterday in Paris to review printers proofs from his forthcoming book entitled, “WASTELAND”. Mr. Bard is the owner and publisher of La Musardine, one of the most highly respected imprints of erotica in the world. TW and his publisher first teamed up in the year 2000, when his renowned book of erotica was published entitled, ORGASM, under Mr. Bard’s oversight. It was to be followed two years later by the sequel ORGASM XL.In the year 2000, TW embarked on a new project, to photograph over a period of time the largest fetish party in the world, held twice yearly in Amsterdam, thus the title of the new book and and also the name of the famous fetish extravaganza. The WASTELAND project has been the most prolonged project of the artist’s career.

The Faces Of Wasteland

Mr. Bard assured Wasteland producer Rene Meuessen during a telephone conference, that the first printing of the monograph will be made available to the public at a book signing to take place at the next Wasteland event on April 17th, 2010 in Amsterdam. TW is looking forward to attending the event.

Claude Bard

The book is dedicated to TW’s best friend and assistant Frans Verlinden. Mr. Verlinden was the former art patron, Winston Hotel owner and founder based in Amsterdam, who was at TW’s side over the many years of documentation of the event. Mr. Verlinden passed away in 2006. He is sorely missed.

Frans Verlinden: Former Owner And Founder, Winston Hotel, Amsterdam

……….Throngs of people descended upon the Grand Palais in Paris yesterday to attend the opening reception of Art Paris, the largest exposition of Art held yearly in France. TW’s most recent large new work, measuring 125cm X 225cm, entitled “L’Aphrodisiaque”, a commissioned piece by sponsor Marc Dorcel was introduced to the public for the first time by art dealer and gallery owner, Pascal Vanhoecke. Capa Presse TV and several other media outlets interviewed TW about his latest creation’s and new series that he refers to as “digital montage”.The exposition dates are March 18th to the 22nd, 2010. If you are in or near Paris, the Studio highly recommends that you attend this remarkable exposition.

TW: Art Paris 3-18-10

Alejandra Guerrero, Los Angeles 3-10-10

……….Just before an important meeting to take place at the W Hotel in Westwood, with television executives regarding a pending project involving Tony Ward Productions, LLC, TW and his stylist/assistant Alejandra Guerrero decided to play “dress up” in his hotel room and take photos. TW was so impressed with Ms. Guerrero’s creative abilities that he invited her to the meeting and encouraged her to wear the outfit they selected for the above photo. Ms. Guerrero elected to tone it down a bit for the meeting. Word has it that the talk’s went very well………