In the past few years, TERRY RODGERS has emerged as one of America’s most talented figurative painters. Thanks to a brilliant technique combining effortless brushstrokes and elaborate compositions, his paintings compel the viewer to participate in a disenchanted world where beauty, sex and money do not seem to bring happiness. In Rodgers’ world of appearances, the real wealth lies in the art of painting.

The Apotheosis of Pleasure, published by TORCH Books of Amsterdam, is the first comprehensive full-color catalogue to feature the work of this artist who will surely be recognized as on of the most important painters of the early 21st century. More than 60 works — selected in conjunction with the artist — present the full scope of Rodgers’ latest endeavour at portraying contemporary body politics. His rendering of the upper-class leisure life stands as an iconic vision of today’s society.

A short erotic tale, The Absent, by internationally best-selling French writer ALINA REYES (The Politics of love, The Butcher), invites the viewer to share a passionate and feminine experience of Rodgers’ work while also becoming the inspiration for performing our own story-telling based on Rodgers’ paintings.

In The Apotheosis of Pleasure, young and upcoming Belgian art critic CATHERINE SOMZÉ (http://www.cameralittera.org/) sets Rodgers’ work against the backdrop of cultural theories and establishes a possible archaeology of its iconography.

The catalogue is also available in a very limited special edition. Five specially designed boxes each include the book, a multiple signed by the artist and a special piece of lingerie by famous Dutch designer MARLIES DEKKERS.

The Apotheosis of Pleasure is a 112 page hardcover color catalogue of TERRY RODGERS’ paintings published by TORCH Books, Amsterdam (early December 2006 in Europe; February 2007 in U.S.). The renowned Dutch design studio SMEL (http://www.smel.net) is responsible for the art direction and design of the book as well as the limited edition boxes.