Paul Caponigro – Visual Memories and Hidden Places

Review by Douglas Stockdale •

This retrospective publication of Paul Caponigro is not meant to be in anyway inclusive of Caponigro’s entire body of work to date. This beautiful book encompasses some of his most wonderful, if not iconic, visual poems. Many of these same Caponigro’s photographs are what initially enticed me to consider the potential metaphoric possibilities of the natural landscape and then later the urban landscape as a subject. Thus, it was a total delight for me to have the time to spend with this exquisite book revisiting Caponigro’s artwork.

This publication is an opportunity to become reacquainted with the classic photographs of a well-known master black and white photographer and it is difficult for me to consider any additional accolades to add to those that Caponigro has accumulated over the past forty plus years. He was schooled in the basics of large format photography by Ansel Adams, the beauty of a black and white print by Edward Weston, potential psychological and mystical aspect of an image by Minor White, composition and connection with people by Paul Strand and by Walker Evans for his ability to the study the world of everyday human activity. Like Adams, Caponigro is also a dedicated pianist, who stated “Photography, like music, must be born in the unmanifest world of spirit.”

Slipcase

The 18 photographs included in this slim but large (12.5 x 16”) book are iconic Caponigro, with a few surprises from his oeuvre that I was not as familiar with. His images are presented at a 1:1 scale and similar in size to his 8 x 10” originals. The selection of paper for printing with the exquisitely printed tri-tone offset printing process provides a nice warm tone image, as though we were looking at an original Ilford Multigrade FB Warmtone glossy silver gelatin print. This amazing book is as close to having a portfolio of original silver gelatin prints as I have ever seen.

For each of the photographs selected, each image has ample white surrounding margins and is located on the right page spread, while two captions are provided on the facing page. A reflection by Caponigro about how the photograph came about is accompanied by another essay by either a photographer, curator or gallerist. The background for each print by Caponigro adds a very delightful bit of photographic trivia, such as the moment the shutter was released for one of my favorite photographs, Reflecting Stream, Redding, Connecticut, 1968, first photograph below, was concurrent with the sun set providing a ‘last-minute thought for the day’. Likewise, the amusing reality behind the making of the photograph Two Pears, Cushing, Maine, 1999, or that another of my favorites, Rock Wall, West Hartford, Connecticut, 1959, second below, resulted from observing a highway construction site.

The usual practice for signing a book object is by the photographer/artist, Paul Caponigro, and as an indication of the this book as a fine art object is reflected in the inclusion of the signatures of Silver Gelatin print maker (and Publisher) Craig Alan Huber, Image preparation by Caponigro’s son, John Paul Caponigro, the book designer Gregory Wakabayashi, the Letterpress Printer, Norman Clayton, bookbinder and case maker, Lisa Van Pelt, the custom Suminagashi End sheets by Karen Perrine and the custom papers by Cave Paper, Zoe Goehring.

Normally for PBJ we provide illustrations of the entire interior two-page spread, while for this review I have taken editorial liberties to illustrate only Caponigro’s photographs. Similar to the earlier titles published by Veritas Editions, George Tice, Lifeworks, and Kenro Izu, Impermanence, this is a carefully and thoughtfully edited, printed and curated body of work.

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Douglas Stockdale is the Founder and Senior Editor, PhotoBook Journal

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Visual Memories and Hidden Places, Paul Caponigro

Photographer: Paul Caponigro, born Boston, MA and resides in Cushing, Maine.

Essays: Introduction by Michael K. Komanecky, Preface and Acknowledgments by Paul Caponigro, and supporting essays by Paul Caponigro, Jennifer Schlesinger, Ann Jastrab, Ted Orlando, Andrew Smith, Carl Chiarenza, Huntington Witherill, Kurt Markus, Peter Fetterman, John Paul Caponigro, David Heald, Ron Rosenstock, Scott Nichols, William Clift and Craig Alan Huber.

Text: English

Hardcover with Linen Slipcase, Duo Bookcloth with Smyth binding, 48 pages plus a separate 8-page folio (saddle sewn), tri-tone offset printing by Hemlock Printers, Burnaby, BC, Canada, and binding by Roswell Bookbinding, Phoenix, Arizona. Various ISBNs for the various Fine Press Editions including Standard Edition with Slipcase, ISBN 978-1-955565-11-0.

Photobook Designer: Gregory Wakabayashi

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Articles and photographs published in the PhotoBook Journal may not be reproduced without the permission of the PhotoBook Journal staff and the photographer(s). All images, texts, and designs are copyright of the authors and publishers