Review by Gerhard Clausing • Depictions of nudity have a long history, going back in painting for many centuries, and in photography to its beginnings as well. The reception of such works, which often could also be considered fine art, always depended on the circumstances and perceived artistic intent. If the context was a religious... Continue Reading →
Charalampos Kydonakis – Warn’d in Vain
Review by Gerhard Clausing • As we know from history, the Greeks are distinguished seafarers and explorers, going back to ancient times. Part of the transmitted past is the story of Jason and the Argonauts, made famous by the poet Apollonius of Rhodes in the third century B.C.; their mythical task was to retrieve the... Continue Reading →
Eamonn Doyle – Made in Dublin
Review by Gerhard Clausing • This photobook is a delightful symphony, a cinematic kaleidoscope, and all of that to present a dynamic portrait of a city. Eamonn Doyle has his roots in photography and painting, as well as in music creation and production, and this certainly has greatly enhanced this special work, which combines his... Continue Reading →
Pixy Liao – Experimental Relationship Vol.1 (2007–2017)
Review by Gerhard Clausing • This photobook was more than ten years in the making, and it is an engrossing experience for the viewers as well. Pixy and Moro are a young couple somewhat less predictably matched, if one goes by social expectations – she is five years older than he is; she is of... Continue Reading →
Shane Rocheleau – You Are Masters of the Fish and Birds and All the Animals
Review by Gerhard Clausing • When you first look at the cover of this photobook, a number of unusual features immediately become apparent: The cloth binding is a glorious purple, the color of royal and religious accoutrements. The edges of the pages are graced with glorious gold-leaf, historically the mark of a very important book.... Continue Reading →
Dia Yunzhi Wang – I Was There in Your Shattered and Rosy Dreams
Review by Gerhard Clausing • I had the good fortune to discover Dia Yunzhi Wang at the Photo LA Show in February 2019, at the SoPhoto Gallery (Beijing), managed and curated by Hongjie Ma, eminent photographer and Chinese National Geographic editor. Her work impressed me immediately – she effectively handles the range from contemporary cultural... Continue Reading →
LA Art Book Fair 2019 – About the Show
LA Art Book Fair at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (California) ____________ by Gerhard Clausing After an absence in 2018, Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair was back, and even stronger than before. This time the majority of the PhotoBook Journal team was able to meet together since launching the new magazine. Below you can see a... Continue Reading →
Isaac Diggs – Middle Distance or The Anxiety of Influence
Review by Gerhard Clausing • It takes an outsider to get to the heart of things. A photographer from the Eastern United States, Isaac Diggs takes a refreshing look at a street photography subject often marked by clichés: Los Angeles. In fact, this photobook has the subtitle, Photographs from Los Angeles. Diggs, who has created... Continue Reading →
Nick Brandt – This Empty World
Review by Gerhard Clausing • Callous attitudes toward our natural environment and a non-scientific ignorance regarding current and impending climate calamities are prevalent these days. Economic and population pressures and interests in short-term economic gain also abound. These are recognized as contributing to the demise of humans and other creatures. Encroachment on habitats, competition for... Continue Reading →
Martin Barnes – Cameraless Photography
Guest review by Paul Anderson • Cameraless Photography by Martin Barnes is an historical survey of cameraless photography, and the written introduction provides an excellent overview of this genre. The subsequent 141 illustrations of cameraless photography are drawn from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The book concludes with a four-page glossary... Continue Reading →