Who can remain insensitive to a newborn baby? To seeing their first attempts to smile and their tiny feet? To them, everything looks brand-new. To us, they look like the pioneers of life. This beautiful collection of photographs pictures their early astonishments, their joy, embarrassment and frustration caused by early experiences of life. First their tiny hands are seizing something familiar, then they are already thinking of making some more trouble. Sometimes they look puzzled and amazed. Light in their eyes and their body language, as well as grimaces and the funniest poses are pictured quite naturally.

The exhibition, promoted by Grazia Neri Photo Agency, was never presented in Italy before. 50 black and white photographs (size 40x50 cm) picturing babies aged from one day to one month, which already appeared in some Italian magazines, are being presented to the great public for the first time. They were taken in 1996.

The pictures of Newborn are part of a greater exhibition, which includes photos of pregnant women during the last two weeks of pregnancy. The photos are collected in a book entitled Anticipation, which is being published soon.

BIOGRAPHY

Howard Schatz lives and works in New York. His works are exhibited in international museums and galleries. Photographs by Schatz are also published in numerous magazines (e.g. Time magazine, Life, Vogue, Airone, Harper's Bazar) and books. The latest ones, which were published last year, are Bodyknots, (ed. Rizzoli) and Nudebodynude (ed. HarperCollins). The 50 pictures published in his first book Gifted Woman (1992) are part of a standing collection, which is hosted at Oakland Art Museum. Howard Schatz was awarded several important prizes by international critics. Only this year he was given four awards: Art director's club distinctive merit award for BodyKnots; 2001 PDN photography annual: advertising, fashion editorial and website; 2001 Yahoo Internet life. Best website; Applied arts photography competition for Nudebodynude.
One of Schatz's favourite subjects is the human body, which he worked at with Newborn, with Seeing red: the rapture of redheads, picturing women (1994), with Waterdance, picturing dancers (1995), with Homeless: portraits of Americans in Hard Times (1998), etc.
He is now working on a series of photos picturing athletes.