Copyright Garciela Iturbide, 2008 courtesy ROSEGALLERY This an interesting little book, perhaps two books within one set of covers, a fictional story, complemented by a related photographic body of work. The fictional story is written by Mario Bellatin, titled Demerol, Without Expiration Date and is about the "recent" artistic work being completed by Frida Kahlo. Except of course that Kahlo... Continue Reading →
Linda Connor – Odyssey
Copyright Linda Connor, 2008, courtesy of Chronicle Books and Joseph Bellows Gallery; Astrophotograph, copyright of the Regents of California, the Lick Observatory Plate Archive In Homer's Odyssey, an early Greek poem, Odysseus is on an epic journey and encounters endless trials and tribulations during the ten years it takes for him to reach his home. Odysseus was not only trying to reach his home during his struggle... Continue Reading →
PDN’s PhotoAnnual 2009 – book list
I was turned onto PDN (Photo District News) magazine about a year and a half ago at the Palm Springs Photo Festival. Before that, I just saw it as a professional photographic magazine, for wedding and commercial advertising photographers. Wrong. In PDN for May 2009, they have issued their PhotoAnnual for 2009. I think that the September issue... Continue Reading →
Eiji Ina – Emperor of Japan
Photographs copyright of Eliji Ina, 2008, courtesy of Nazaraeli Press Eiji Ina's recent book, Emperor of Japan, is part documentation, part examination, and part aesthetic observance. He has documented the burial sites, miasai, of the Japanese Emperors since the Kofun period, which reaches back approximately 1,600 years into history. While Ina was at each of these sites, which are spread... Continue Reading →
Bernd & Hilla Becher – Basic Forms
Copyright 2009 Bernd und (and) Hilla Becher courtesy Schrimer/Mosel Verlag After reviewing the catalog for the Becher's exhibition at Museo Morandi, I found that I wanted to further explore Bernd and Hilla's photographic body of work. Thus I acquired this book, Basic Forms of Industrial Buildings, published by Schrimer/Mosel Verlag in conjunction with the Becher's Hasselblad Award in... Continue Reading →
Todd Oldham – Bedrock City
© 2008 Todd Oldham Studio - Courtesy of http://www.ammobooks.com Driving along US Interstate 40 across the Western U.S., I might have seen the signs announcing the opportunity to visit Bedrock City and my thoughts would have drifted off to one of the many Flintstones cartoons I enjoyed as a child. Or perhaps you had a car load of kids driving along this same endless stretch of road, and... Continue Reading →
William Henry Fox Talbot
Photographs copyright of the Estate of William Henry Fox Talbot, courtesy Phaidon Press This retrospective book is edited by Geoffrey Batchen about William Henry Fox Talbot (b. 1800, d. 1877). It is very nicely written and printed book which does a wonderful job of keeping William Henry Fox Talbot's extensive early photographic work in perspective. The book provides Talbot's early technical... Continue Reading →
Bernd & Hilla Becher at Museo Morandi
Photographs copyright Bernd & Hilla Becher courtesy of Schirmer/Mosel and Prestel USA Bernd and Hilla Becher are the German photographic team who become well known over the last 30+ years for the development of their industrial Typologies (and how many times have I unknowing read this as Topologies). This book is a catalog, published by Schirmer/Mosel in... Continue Reading →
Hiroshi Watanabe – Findings
Photographs copyright of Hiroshi Watanabe courtesy of Photolucida Hiroshi Watanabe's book Finding published by Photolucida is the grand prize winner of the 2006 Critical Mass. While reading this I find that I am always looking at life through a veil. There always seems to be something between me and what I think the subject is. Which may be overlooking one the... Continue Reading →
Zoe Strauss – AMERICA
Copyright 2009 Zoe Strauss, courtesy AMMO Books There are photographic projects that become evident of when the photographer is just a visitor dropping in to take a photo-op, collect some photo-trophies and then soon back home for the evening to spend time with their spouse and kids. With Zoe Strauss's recent project America by Zoe Strauss published by AMMO Books I quickly perceive that... Continue Reading →