Helmut Newton (1920–2004) always showed a healthy disdain for the easy or predictable, so it’s no surprisethat the SUMO was an irresistible project. The ideaof a book the size of a private exhibition, with spectacular images reproduced to state-of-the-art origination and printing standards, emerged from an open, experimental dialogue between photographer and publisher. With the SUMO weighing in―boxed and shrink-wrapped―at 35.4 kg (just under 80 pounds), Newton created alandmark book that stood head and shoulders above anything previously attempted, both in terms of conceptual extravagance and technical specifications.
