Susan S. Bank – Piercing the Darkness

Copyright 2016 Susan S. Bank

Photographer: Susan S. Bank (b. Portsmouth, NH and resides in both Philadelphia, PA & Portsmouth, NH USA)

Publisher: Brilliant Press, Exton (PA)

Essays: Susan S. Bank, John T. Hill

Text: English

Hardcover book with dust jacket, sewn binding, four-color lithography, List of Plates, printed by Brilliant Press in USA

Photobook designer: Jesse Holborn

Notes: As I had stated in an earlier review, there will be a number of photobooks forthcoming about Cuba. Nevertheless, there are a few photographers, such as Susan S. Bank, who is investigating the island, people and subsequently the culture of Cuba for an extended period.

This is Bank’s second book about Cuba and for this poignant project she is focusing on the people of Havana. She has carefully chosen to photograph her subject utilizing analog black & white with her Leica to get up close and personal. She is an urban photographer who can capture the various Havana street activities as well as someone who appears to be able to gain trust and probe inside the cultural boundaries to observe life as it unfolds. All the while Bank steers clear of the potential Cuban clichés to dive beneath the veneer and focus on capturing quiet and intimate personal moments. This is a gritty photobook that connects with me and I feel provides a real sense of who the people are that reside in Havana. Recommended.

Cheers