Kiss Book

The Kiss Book is the debut book by musician Tove Lo and photographer Kenny Laubbacher, a collaborative project spanning 15 countries and 18 cities, showcasing 600 + subjects captured in the sensual act of kissing. Throughout 2023, during Tove Lo's Dirt Femme tour, Kenny and Tove, in collaboration with creative director Charlie Twaddle, initiated The Kiss Book. This body of work aimed to foster an interactive experience for tour attendees, inviting those interested in being photographed to participate in a kiss "All pictures were taken soon after the world fully reopened following the pandemic, when kissing and dancing in sweaty crowds still felt surreal and a little forbidden. This added a level of ecstasy to these moments and you can feel that energy in the photos". The book vividly illustrates couples, throuples and individuals caught in a passionate kiss. Their bodies are intertwined, and the images focus on their faces, hands and tongues, capturing the moment's intimacy. Central to the project is the participants' agency, as their active involvement and selfhood play a vital role in co-constructing the photographs. The book invites readers to explore and embrace spontaneous and playful desires, presenting a thoughtful examination of love and lust and opening up a constructive dialogue about the multifaceted nature of affection. Kissing can be seen not only as a physical act but also as a form of connection that transcends traditional sexual roles. By exploring these varying interpretations, we can better appreciate the role of kissing in human relationships and how it fosters intimacy and emotional expression. The book also introduces Charlie Twaddle, who, together with Samuel Burgess Johnson, have designed the book to resemble a relic from a past prohibition era 'when kissing was illegal.' "The choice of red as a colour serves as a symbol for flesh, while the red page edges reflect on the biblical concept of original sin in a 'post distancing' society."