Title: Patrick Hoelck: TAR
Publisher: Good Brown Press

REVIEW: Carlos Batts
PURCHASE: Good Brown Press

I first became acquainted with Patrick's work about 3 yearsago at 2 am. I was watching MTV's after hour's electronica video show called AMP. It was his video he directedfor Estheros' "that girl" that made me sit up from my comfortable feather softpillows to get a closer look at the television. I thought the video was surreal and mesmerizing and it matched the music perfectly, a CD that happened to be onmy heavy rotation. Upon moving to Los Angeles later that year, Patrick was one of the first photographers that I met through the art collective and promotion masterminds at GuerillaOne. I would soon be initiated in to their army by the head Czar Eddie Donaldson who happens to have been neighbors with Pat and the publisher of his new photography book TAR. Pat liked my work, I to shoot women and he seemed to be fond of my work way before I evenhad my book out (WILD SKIN Edition Ruess). After seeing his portfolio, I immediately felt inspired by his work, he shot celeberties but not in a placid Kmart way like so many others do. It was dirty and tangible like he did bong hits with the infamous and stayed up late nights throwing up and swapping broken heart tales and being addicted to the addiction. His work captured an honest moment in their lives.

Three years later we both havebooks out this year. On occasion we see each other at gallery openings, clubs or through our association with G1. His first book this year was of Asian Popstar Hiroko Hatano the book is called HOP even under the strict guidance of the Yakuzi like publicity surrounding his book assignment he still managed to get his pop princess in fishnets in a 4 star hotel. I felt you could see his style shining through but not yet all his vision.

Which now brings us to his new book TAR. I considered Patrick to be in the photography company of Larry Clark, Michel Comte, Jan Saudek. I'm always excited to see his new work. Tar weighs heavy on the soul. What it lacks in size and quantity it makes up with heart and quality. This is a first book for GOOD BROWN PRESS; the production is perfect bound 8x10, 50 page has a catalog style design with a bronze cover and gold foil lettering. The main theme of the book is one wall, one tone, and women ofall ethic denominations Black, White, Latin, and Asian, it's conceptual without pretension. The women are all oily and agitated some wear sheer nylons for bra's and skin tone panties. The others are topless all of them are exposed and threatening. Each page is accompanied by a journal, written by the photographer some ten years ago both prose and poems about hard times, love and addiction. And that's what makes this such an honest and unique book. I've seen hundred of books of erotica most of them boring and cold. This is not that kind of book.Pat creates an image so saturated with emotion you could lick the paper to geta buzz. On every page of TAR you can taste the oil oozing out the pores of his waif like models. He makes the Calvin Klein campaign of the early Ninety's looklike a Sears holiday catalog. His models look like they can't be satisfied. They provoke the viewer, demanding you snort, stroke or leave and seducing the lens man and he taunts them back with moody light and vibrant film. They smoke, stare, twist, and punk the viewer into accepting there brashness. Pat loves his craft and his words match the images like a eulogy to the beautiful people.