Juergen Teller: Nackig Auf Dem FussballplatzPaperback, 2 July 2004

Juergen Teller's new book features black-and-white stills from a video that recorded him while he watched last year's World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil, live. Describing it as "the most disturbing thing I have ever seen" and shocked by the pure animal instincts it reveals, Teller offers us extraordinarily cruel yet mesmerizing self-portraits of himself shouting and swearing during the TV match commentary. Also included are other self-portraits, together with shots of football celebrities and images of Teller's family, among them one of his mother at his father's grave. Teller explores his subjects with equal intelligence and wit, be they celebrities, family, or friends, in striking and provocative ways. Nackig auf dem Fussballplatz--Naked On the Soccer Field, for those of you who couldn't guess--is an extension of his previous work with portraiture and self-portraiture. In it he uses football as a vehicle to explore aspects of his personal life, and in particular to reflect on his relationship with his family.