Kishin Shinoyama: John Lennon & Yoko Ono by TASCHEN

This book features Kishin Shinoyama's widely unseen portrait series of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shot at Ono’s request for the cover of the couple’s 1980 album, Double Fantasy. With exceptional access to the couple’s private apartment, Shinoyama immortalizes this iconic couple at a decisive moment in their personal and creative relationship, and just three months before Lennon’s untimely death.

Renowned for his sensual, provocative images, Shinoyama is one of Japan’s most controversial and acclaimed artists, at once hailed by critics and charged for public indecency. Photographing everything from antiques to porn stars, Shinoyama is particularly recognized for his work with pop icons and celebrities, and the rare, private moments he captures with very public personalities. Through his lens, world-famous faces often reveal an unexpected openness and vulnerability.

This capacity for ease and intimacy is perhaps most poignantly expressed in his beautiful series of photographs of Yoko Ono and John Lennon, shot at Ono’s request for the cover and promotion of the couple’s celebrated 1980 album, Double Fantasy, just three months before Lennon’s untimely death. Now, over 30 years later, these images—many of them never seen before—still resonate with a remarkable freshness and honesty, immortalizing the iconic couple at a pivotal moment in their personal and creative relationship.