PICTURING PRINCE sees the late icon's former art director, STEVE PARKE, revealing stunning intimate photographs of the singer from his time working at Paisley Park. At least half of the images in the book are exclusively published here for the first time; most other images in the book are rare to the public eye. Alongside these remarkable images are fifty engaging, poignant and often funny written vignettes by Parke, which reveal the very human man behind the reclusive superstar: from shooting hoops to renting out movie theatres at 4am; from midnight requests for camels to meaningful conversations that shed light on Prince as a man and artist. STEVE PARKE started working with Prince in 1988, after a mutual friend showed Prince some of Steve's photorealistic paintings. He designed everything from album covers and merchandise to sets for Prince's tours and videos. Somewhere in all of this, he became Paisley Park's official art director. He began photographing Prince at the request of the star himself, and continued to do so for the next several years. The images in this book are the arresting result of this collaboration.

本書は、孤高の天才プリンスの神秘的なヴェールを剥ぎ取り、その奥底に眠る「人間味」を鮮烈に描き出した芸術的ドキュメントです。長年アートディレクターを務めたスティーヴ・パークだからこそ捉えられた親密な眼差しは、単なるスーパースターの肖像を超え、一人の表現者が抱く孤独と情熱の純粋な形を浮き彫りにしています。 随所に散りばめられたエピソードは、深夜の突飛な要求や何気ない会話を通じて、伝説の背後にある確かな呼吸を感じさせます。テキストと未公開写真が共鳴し合うことで、ペイズリー・パークという聖域で紡がれた創造の苦悩と歓喜が、読む者の魂を激しく揺さぶる一冊と言えるでしょう。