Documentary-Collection

I have never seen such beautiful slides of the Southwest. If you have never seen the Southwest this books brings to life the true beauty of this enchanted land to life. I highly recommend it.

a somptuous book bringing together a series of photographs taken over the last ten years. Deserted places, abandoned objects, people seen from the back in transitory places, airport corridors or subway escalators are her recurring subjects. Colors are deep and dark, people and things immerged in artifial lighting, closed places.

In 1906 photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis held the last showings of his large-format, large-scale platinum exhibition prints at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel and at Boston's St Botolph Club. He had gotten banker John Pierpont Morgan to agree to help pay for a complete photographic record of Native American life. So he sold his larger exhibition prints to Dr Charles Goddard Weld, who then gave the 108 photographs to what is now the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts. My sculptress mother and artist sister had already shared with me Curtis's pictorialist photography: so in my opinion THE MASTER PRINTS from these last two exhibitions are excellent examples of how the artist-photographer used chiaroscuro effects, close-ups and soft-focus lenses for dramatic and focused lighting, dark backgrounds for adding or subtracting details, and romantic poses to bring out strong personality and sweeping landscape. The book has helpful, to-the-point, well-written foreword, appreciation, afterword, and notes: I find it interesting that the prints might have been made with just an old German lens and a heavy-to-carry 14x17 view plate camera and that all the head and shoulder shots were taken in a tent lined with maroon-colored material and under lighting controlled by a skylight opening on one side. And I particularly like the prints that give a sense of place, such as the clearly photographed nature in "The Mojave water carrier," "Out of the forest depth" and "Taos water carriers"; a sense of family, such as "Hava Supai home," "Inuit hut and family," and Yakutat Indian seal hunter's hut"; a sense of community, such as Acoma and Walpi street scenes, "Apache camp" and "Apache village," "Blackfoot encampment," "Census hogan," "Estufa of San Ildefonso," "Mishongnovi," and [Tlinkit] "Council house"; and a sense of daily activity, such as "Threshing wheat," "Winnowing wheat," "Washing wheat," "Drying wheat," and "Hopi girls grinding peke bread meal." So the book's collection of photographic artistry works especially well with Shannon Lowry's NATIVES OF THE FAR NORTH, THE PLAINS INDIAN PHOTOGRAPHS, and THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN: THE COMPLETE PORTFOLIOS.

Now gone, the Eliza furnaces of Jones and Laughlin once had a place on the Pittsburgh skyline. Prior to, and including their demolition, Mark Perrott snuck through the fences to record these pictures, which are some of the finest industrial photographs published in a long time. Some of the most moving photograph show the areas where men and women worked, and how ghostly those areas are when the workers have gone. In some photos, it looks almost like some sort of biological weapon or neutron bomb has killed off the workers; everything looks as though they just walked away, and the mill awaits their presence. But of course, they would never return, as the mill was turned into scrap, and probably fed into another company's steelmaking furnaces. Interspersed with interviews of some Eliza workers, this short book has a hard impact, showing the end of a mighty industry. Well worth it.

This book has several very interesting photos through the years...most, I've never even seen anywhere else; very, very little repetition to other books. Rare photos in the blue '70 jumpsuit with oriental trim, a rare photo in the white '69 karate gi, excellent photo in his '72 Conquistador suit, one of the best pics in the Burning Love red suit, Elvis in his funky western style mod cowboy garb (arriving in Houston for shows at the Dome in '70) etc. etc. Also has by far the best detailed photos I've ever seen of the orange target, bear claw, and aloha suits on display. Very neat room to room Gracelend pics. What a find. I absolutely love this book, among the best values around, too. Long live the King.

This book offers amazing photographs of Westerners in China during the early 18th century. It is worth collecting.

I believe this is the fourth volume of Duane Michael's work to be published by Twin Palms. This relationship has provided Michaels with a well-deserved vehicle for his creativity. If Alan Ginsberg is the quintessential gay poet, drawing on his sexuality when needed, but never letting his work be overwhelmed by it. Then Michaels holds the same position in the world of light.

"Eros & Thanatos" is a combination of verse and photography that probes love and its mortality, seeking wisdom, and, of course, peace. The metaphysical nature of its theme is echoed in the artist's choices of printing styles and manipulations. Often there is a sense of 'looking through a glass darkly," at some distant hermetic time. The images are dark, with careful use of composition and focus. Many pages are black which makes the images alternate between leaping off the page to floating delicately beneath it.

Michaels use of male models works perfectly for this setting. There is nothing to offend here, the models have a quiet beauty and sensuality that blends with, rather than intrudes upon the images. This allows Michaels to escape from the sometimes cliche-ridden atmospherics of the female figure, and leaves his innovation undiluted.

The poetry that frames the images is surprising. Michaels' writing is misleadingly primitive, lacking in the slick polish that contemporary criticism seems to prefer. Yet, the words and phrases themselves are rich in content, and touch on the myriad forms that love can experience death. Loss, betrayal and grief all make their appearance and are expressed openly. Nor is this mere expostulation. Instead, Michaels has invited us to share some of his own experiences.

The final poem is an homage to Paul Cadmus, an important American painter, who, like Michaels, has shared his homosexuality in his art. Indeed, a study of their images shows many common threads and a shared sense of lighting and imagery.

Twin Palms production qualities are, as usual, immaculate, with much attention paid to the tonal quality of the images. I am reviewing from the limitied edition, which includes a fine slipcase. Other than that, and the signature page, there is no difference from the regular edition.

The pictures of Cristina Garcia Rodero capture the corners of rural or folcloric Spain with such gripping elocuence it is almost painful.With a hint of surrealism and a sense for the right moment to capture her subjects, she reveals the hidden Spain in all its darkness and grace. The subject is impressive but it takes an artist to peel the surface and go further and that is what Cristina has done

The first photo features Monet, already gorgeous at 2, clutching a doll, enormous black eyes gazing innocently into Gottfried's camera. In the second photo, Monet, dressed in white lace, appears to be simply sleeping, in her coffin, the doll lying beside her. These stunning and unforgettable photographs were taken two days apart. They were the first of hundreds to be taken by the talented Arlene Gottfried of The Eternal Light Community Singers, a Harlem gospel choir led by the late Selwyn Rawls, loving lightning-bolt of a man, missionary, and musician. "The Eternal Light" chronicles the choir in all their ecstatic human-ness. Gottfried, who'd soon join the choir, captures -- as no other photographer could -- the faith, ecstasy, and throbbing intensity of life of this amazing family of people. It is only at the end of the book that I realized I had read it in silence, for so vivid are the faces, so alive the images, so filled with spirit its every moment that I could swear I heard their celestial song. My collections of books of photography and African American culture have been immeasurably enriched by this fine volume and first book by an artist whose work has graced Life Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. I highly recommend it to lovers of superb photography or anyone who wants to share the rich and rollicking lives of an amazing group of human beings.

ExLibris is a fascinating work of art. Gibson's sublime eye, previously dedicated to such wonderful subjects as the female form (see INFANTA or WOMEN) here turn to photographs of books, both ancient and modern. The photographs have almost a tactile, three dimensional feel... Gibson captures a hand touching an ancient copy of the Koran and you can literally feel the connection through time. Pages juxtapose images of faces and pages... Sculptures, coins, cybercafes, the Internet, strange faces, hieroglyphics, all find a way into this mysterious book. The only thing that might have been nice is some words of explanation regarding the subject of the photos (there is a very brief description of sources and images). This book will fascinate any bibliophile as well as lovers of fine photography.