“In his brilliant photographs, Neal Auch has captured the eternal lesson of vanity vs time. Deeply inspired by Flemish still life paintings of the 17th century, his provocative compositions seem rooted in another time, yet utterly contemporary. As culinary designer for television’s Hannibal, I also drew inspiration from the uneaten prey, over-ripe fruits, and overblown bouquets of Flemish art, examining the liminal space between sumptuous excess and decay that Auch brings into exquisitely measured focus in his new collection. Each image whispers a warning that is cruel but, ultimately, extraordinarily beautiful.” — Janice Poon, graphic designer, painter, sculptor, food stylist, and author of Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur’s Cookbook
“All is Vanity combines text and art in an extended meditation on the conundrum of existence. Using the still life as a mirror to show the absurdity of self, culture, politics, and wealth, we're confronted with classically-styled images of unlikely objects (such as viscera, fast food, and sex toys) that are simultaneously lush, ironic, revolting, and gorgeous. Auch’s photographs burst with gruesome beauty like the abundant rot of a bloated corpse.” —Joe Koch, author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands and Invaginies
“All is Vanity provides an expansive sampling of Neal Auch’s haunting work, alongside a deep dive into the history and theory of the form. Approachable enough for the layperson, insightful enough to appeal to connoisseurs of art history.” — Orrin Grey, author of Glowing in the Dark
“Neal Auch is one for all of us who find beauty in decay.” —Tiernan Blanchard, writer and poet
“Neal Auch confronts us with an unsettling idea: there is beauty in horror.” —Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender is the Flesh
“A Dutch master’s sampler set in aspic, waxy horrors of skin, grey tones of organ, muscle clinging to bone, blacker than black background.” — Matthew Stokoe, author of Cows
“Auch's impressively detailed photographs present this equally beloved and disdained animal in a beautiful and unsettling way, much akin to the way in which it is perceived in our collective imagination.” — Mark Riddick, illustrator and graphic artist
“Simultaneously haunting and beautiful.” — Sam Richard, author of To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows
“Dark and beautiful, thoughtful and full of a sort of wonder at the fragility of mortality, the thin line between us and the other.” — Donyae Coles, author of Midnight Rooms