100 Members Only: Volume 1 is a stunning collection of lovingly rendered photos of penises by photographer Ron Amato, that lay bare (literally) the sheer variety and nuances of the organ. It’s eye-catching and will prove to be quite the conversation starter when spied on your coffee table. That is if you’re one of the lucky few to snag a copy.
The book was 13 years in the making with Amato culling through literally thousands of photos of penises he’s taken throughout his more than a decade of exploration into this project. Amato opens up about his fascination with the penis and how the project came about in the introduction to the book.
“The penis is a thing of beauty to be captured, a thing of curiosity to be explored, and a thing of controversy to be exposed,” writes Amato. “With this project, I endeavor to unwrap the enigma of male genitalia, to see the penis in all its glory and all its vulnerability. My initial motivation was to explore my own fascination. Why (beyond the ecstasies of sex) am I so compelled by the penis? I’m not sure I answered this question. I did learn penises are as individual as the men who possess them.”
The project was particularly poignant for the photographer as it exemplifies his lifelong, complicated relationship with penises, as they represent “both my object of desire and my source of self-pleasure,” as a gay man. “My own penis was my betrayer when denying my sexuality to myself and others. Feelings of titillation when catching a glance of another penis quickly turned to feelings of shame. As I learned to accept my sexual orientation and become proud of who I am, the penis became a symbol of brotherhood and bonding, both sexual and spiritual,” he writes.
That tension of curiosity and desire comes through in each compelling and highly intimate image, rendered in both lyrical and clinical detail in the photos, which were printed with an archival duotone process, highlighting every crease and curve in high-contrast detail.
Courtesy of Ron Amato
The book itself is a work of art, boasting a black linen hardcover with gold metallic embossing, and it's a limited edition with only 100 copies to ever be produced and sold for, you guessed it, $100. As of this writing, copies are still available but likely will not be for long. Prints are also available for sale on Amato’s site.
