Twenty thousand years before Christianity, people carved icons of a full-figured woman in stone, bones and wood. She was round. Her hips were full and she looked fertile. She was an icon; they considered her the ultimate woman. Thousands of years later, the ancients honed this form out of marble and fine stone in their idolatry of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, or Venus, her Roman incarnation. She also came to represent beauty, fertility and the spring. She was nubile and the embodiment of renewal.
Back in 2008, with a view to combining this old form with new meaning, Mario Sorrenti approached 10. He wanted to capture burlesque superstar Dirty Martini as The Venus from New York City. Yes please, we said. This year, 10 is celebrating its 25th birthday and this shoot is still a favourite. So for everyone who needs a life-enhancing dose of feminine energy, here she is again from the 10 archive (Issue 28, Autumn). Immortal. Divine. Dirty.
10 Magazine’s 25 anniversary issue is out on newsstands September 15. Pre-order your copy here.
DIRTY MARTINI
Photographer MARIO SORRENTI
Talent DIRTY MARTINI
Text RICHARD GRAY
Make-up FRANK B at The Wall Group
Digital operator and retouching HEATHER SOMMERFIELD
Photographer’s assistants LARS BEAULIEU and JOHNNY VICARI
Casting DANIEL PEDDLE CASTING
Production KATIE FASH and STEVE SUTTON