The Contemporary Photobook Magazine
Review by Wayne Swanson • There’s nothing to see here. Yet photographer, artist, and photobook publisher Andy Burgess presents a captivating collection of images that remind us of what once was. Signs of Nothing delivers just what the title says — images of empty signs that once beckoned us to stores, motels, gas stations, restaurants,... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • This is one disorienting book. It deals with serious social issues — the effects of environmental pollution, institutional racism, the rise and fall of the industrial economy, and more. Yet the photos sure are beautiful. The painterly effects invite comparisons with a who’s who of modern artists. That’s a lot... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • Living in a large urban city can be an intense experience. The constant crush of humanity at times a little bit overwhelming, while trying to find some personal space may be slightly vexing. Perhaps this is more of the view point of someone who finds themselves immersed in this sea... Continue Reading →
Review by Paul Anderson • In a very curious way, photographs can be magical. Photographs, as is well known, capture three-dimensional scenes as frozen moments in time. This action instantly transforms a scene into a new context. Sometimes, that transformation provides a contemplative experience. A skilled photographer can transform an everyday scene that, say, a New... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • “Landfall” is a term to describe an approach to or a sighting of land that signals an arrival at one’s destination at the end of a journey across the sea. Landfall is a physical event, or in Sal Taylor Kydd’s recently released artist book, Landfall, it is both a physical as well as a... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • As the title makes abundantly clear, this is a book about dogs. Purebred, rescues, dogs of all shapes and sizes. But the other parts of the title — “Palm Springs,” “Modern,” and “at Home” — make this much more than just another answer to the question “Who’s a good boy?”... Continue Reading →
Review by Steve Harp • I visited Albania in 2009. Until opening – slowly – to Western tourism in the mid-1990s, Albania had been known as the most tightly closed, inaccessible country in Europe, a blank spot on the map, even after the fall of the East bloc. So imagine my wonderment, while walking one night on... Continue Reading →
Review by Rudy Vega • Satoshi Hirano’s Reconstruction documents the large-scale redevelopment of Tokyo’s Shibuya station. Reconstruction is the culmination of a photography project Hirano pursued from 2014 to 2018. Portraying a nocturnal view, Hirano provides an insider’s look to the ongoing expansion of the station, offering the viewer access that would otherwise be difficult if not impossible... Continue Reading →
Review by Wayne Swanson • This photobook is complete garbage. Garbage containers, garbage pickers, garbage. Even the front and back covers are garbage — recycled cardboard. Why garbage? Garbage is much more than just what we throw away. It’s a web of social, cultural, political, and economic considerations. The main interest of Henrik Malmström, a Finnish photographer... Continue Reading →
Review by Douglas Stockdale • A dream in which a deceased father speaks words of inspiration to his daughter, who, now inspired visits a snowy village in which her father was born and lived long ago in the north of Japan. Upon her arrival she is confronted by an ancient performance of Zaido, said to be... Continue Reading →
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