[.ca] Anne Geddes Birthday Perpetual Calendar (ISBN 0740717820)

High Kitsch:
Geddes' manages to degrade and isolate her subjects. Her prehistoric "cutsie" images, though appealing to a kitsch market, do not allow for a social comment to transcend the visual confines of her exploitive commercial "photography". In some senses, she could be seen as a radical post-modernist artist, as she abstracts the subject from social normality and removes any dignity from the development of the child, if that was her so calling in contemporary art. Yet it is frightening to be in an age where people will grasp such superficially degrading images. Geddes has made a personal fortune off photographing babies, subjects usually positioned in inhumane circumstances (ie: babies in flowerpots or dipped in custard), which removes human dignity and allows us to question Geddes moral intent.

Degrading? I think not....:
To think that what Anne Geddes does is degrading because the babies are posed in "inhumane" positions is ridiculous, not to mention missing the entire point of the photographs. First, I'm sure that she would not be quite so prolific if there were something truly wrong with the way her young models are treated. Second, what narrow mind would insist that all photography adhere to rules that would 'allow for a social comment to transcend the visual confines of her exploitive commercial "photography"'? Who are any of us to demand that ANY photography make a social comment at all? Or even be pleasing to all in order to be worthy of viewing? If her style goes against your tightly held beliefs about the greater meanings of art, then move on and don't look at them. Perhaps these photographs, while both taken and published with commercial gain in mind (not quite the evil motivation some would have you believe - I'm sure most people go to work) are intended to provide some brief happiness to this world which is so often jaded, as can clearly be witnessed in some of the other reviews. While Anne Geddes may not be a revolutionary artist, she certainly takes beautiful photos that are more than capable of tugging heartstrings and bringing a smile to the face of anyone who will drop the pretentious posturings and let her.

Anne Geddes Lover:
I love this book. It makes it so much easier to remember birthday's and other special days. The best thing is you never have to throw it away.