Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

Guido Argentini, Thea in a Melancholic Night, 2007, 500 x 500mm, digitally mastered c-print/lambda © 2010 Guido Argentini

Can there be filthy art and beautiful pornography? In a world where contemporary art is often lurid and explicit, and where “porn” can include the serenely beautiful work of Italian photographer Guido Argentini, the answer is clearly yes. Delicately poised on the fine line between art and smut, Argentini’s latest show, “Love Lyric” at Galerie Sho (free!), presents the kind of decadent world that must exist somewhere for the super rich: naked supermodels draped over the Chippendale or dipping their toes in a swimming pool that’s probably filled with champagne. The Italian photographer makes no bones about “objectifying” his subjects but, instead of demeaning then, he succeeds in deifying them. This is an exhibition that can be enjoyed on the aesthetic as well as the erotic level, and, yes, this is the tamest shot they sent us.

Galerie Sho
Guido Argentini. Love Lyric. Photography. Until May 15, free. B1 Sansho Bldg, 3-2-9 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3275-1008. Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-5pm, closed Sun. Nearest stn: Nihombashi, exit B1. www.g-sho.com