Rizzoli Publishing | Sleep by Ted Spagna | Production | Editing | Book Design

Ted Spagna was an influential teacher, filmmaker, and photographer who discovered and pioneered the art of sleep portraiture. From 1975-1989, his sleeping subjects included people ranging in age from newborns to 92 years old and a wide variety of animals in captivity. The significance in his work lies in both its aesthetic and scientific implications because until Spagna came along, sleep researchers never had this kind of visual information before about their subjects. His work corroborated and amplified studies about sleep behavior and helped to bridge a gap between the artistic and scientific communities. He was at the height of his career, exploring the endless possibilities of sleep portraiture and gaining wide recognition for it, when he passed away in 1989 at the age of 45.

Fourteen years of groundbreaking work and thousands of photographs had laid dormant for over two decades until Spagna's nephew (Ron Eldridge) and I came together to produce “Sleep” by Ted Spagna (published by Rizzoli New York). I designed and co-edited the book which presents in brilliantly colored exposures, these sensual, cinematic images of dressed or undressed sleeping subjects depicting the inherent beauty, rhythm, and organization of natural behavior. It includes editorial contributions from the renowned late-photographer Mary Ellen Mark, and Dr. Allan Hobson (Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School).

For more information, visit www.tedspagna.com