Poetic pictures achieve natural beauty in their decomposition. Patrizio Di Renzo is publishing his second art book. «Merlin’s Dream» is bigger and more comprehensive than its predecessor yet not quite as glamorous. No stars nor any well-known names characterise the current work. Using flowers – poetically, mystically and, at the same time, gracefully and touchingly – Di Renzo explains the beauty of the past with rich, deep colours and photography which could just as well be painted.

The international player Patrizio Di Renzo, part of the premiere league in the world of fashion and celebrity photography, subtly follows the thoughts of Merlin‘s dreams. He creates a visual world which slows down and allows the beholder to stop and pause. His still lifes are paired down to the bare essentials and salvage a strength of colour whose intensity is increased even more against the consistent dark background.

In the very world of stars and top models in which photographer Di Renzo socializes in, he is surrounded by glamour, perfectionism, vain appearances and a youthful ideal of beauty. With his latest work, Di Renzo now presents a personal, aesthetic counter movement. Back to nature, back to everyday life to the transitory.

The flowers serve as inspiration. There are no distractions apart from them. It is only in this way that the organic nature of the plant is properly conveyed. Every picture contains a study of the decomposition and is accompanied by the photographer‘s observations from days on end. Di Renzo studied a diverse range of flowers over two years. In this meticulous way, portraits of poppies, tulips, roses and lilacs emerged. In total, 159 pictures show intricately interleaved or individually focused flowers whether on the whole or in detail. The photograph sees it as an experiment in which his fantasies are expressed via Merlin‘s dreams using natural elements.

«Merlin’s Dream» ties in with Di Renzo‘s last book „Portraits of Illusions“ which searched for the beauty in the female body – sensual and romantic mixed with the lascivious and the surreal. The visual language has remained the same, as has the artist‘s poetical handwriting. However, the essence of both illustrated books could not be more different.

Patrizio Di Renzo is Swiss with Italian origins and regularly photographs for international fashion magazines such as Flaunt, Tush, Harper‘s Bazaar etc. Alongside this, he portrays personalities from the film scene and, amongst others, has worked with Chloë Sevigny, Devon Aoki, Natalia Vodianova, Iekeliene Stange, Rie Rasmussen, Mads Mikkelsen and Naomi Campbell.

The ZAUBERKIND publishing house stands for curiosity and a timeless enthusiasm for extraordinary books. Limited edition artistic creations in fashion, photography, art, design and architecture show this spirit enduring with authentic passion. ZAUBERKIND works with selected artists and talents in the visualisation of new books.

Published by Zauberkind Edition // www.zauberkind.com ISBN 978-3-905904-44-4 Limited edition of 2000 books