Cool Hunting

Australian portrait photographer Polly Borland collaborated with English actress Gwendoline Christie for more than three years on a project that led to Bunny Nose, a surreal visual portrait and celebration of Gwen's imposing stature in the form of a book. At 6' 3" tall, Christie's height immediately attracted Borland, but the resulting images more describe their resulting friendship than examine Christie's freakishly tall frame.

The bizarre collection of photos portray Christie either in the nude or dressed in bunny-like costumes created by the duo—lending inspiration for the book's title—while she assumes awkwardly childish poses.

While many would attempt to camouflage such an abnormal height, Christie explained in a U.K. newspaper, “My parents treated my height as a wonderful thing to be celebrated, but also normal. I love being tall as you literally look at life from a different perspective.” Photos showing Christie naked laying open-legged on a bed (below) or bent over topless sporting a costume that makes her appear to have six legs (above) make her comfort level clear. (Click here to see another NSFW image.)

Gwen recalled when her boyfriend-at-the-time first saw the images he was shocked. “When he saw the photos he was horrified,” she told the newspaper “He didn't recognize me in them and I think he was disturbed to see the recorded visual evidence of the depths of a relationship he was no part of. He didn't speak to me for two days.”

“Now that I'm not taking photos of her any more, I just want to nurture this project and our friendship,” Borland told the same newspaper.

Macabre songwriter Nick Cave (a fellow Australian with whom Borland has done much work in the past contributed a poem to the book and it is available from Amazon or Powell's. For the collector, a series of 15 limited edition signed copies sell with a print for £195 and giclee prints run £1,795, both from Other Criteria.