Documentary-collections Books

This wonderful book by Larry Fink and Burt Sugar is an instant reminder of the old adage that champions are made not born. These photos capture the daily grind in the gym of aspiring pugilists to full blown pros. An awesome book for any fan of the sweet science.

I am not an expert in ring-side photography but bought the item for a gift to a friend of mine who is ring-side photographer. All I can say he was happy.

Larry Fink takes the sport of boxing out of standard iconography and makes it his own. His compositions are surprising and arresting in their uniqueness. I admire his uninhibited use of harsh flash and how that helps dramatize the rugged people who live the fight game. His black and white prints are so finely crafted that I can smell the perspiration.

Larry Fink has captured the essence of the heart of boxing throughout this book. He's caught specific moments which go unnoticed on a daily basis in the gym and made them immortal. Most specific and touching are those photos of Fighter and Trainer in the locker room before the fight. An excellent, well written dabble on the history of boxing accompanies the photos as well. nice.

"Cationary" is beautiful, amusing, knowing - just like the photographer's "Dogtionary." Sharon Montrose really has done it again. You know the old saying, "Dogs have masters; cats have staff." Indeed. Cats are vain; they're haughty; they don't suffer fools at all, let alone gladly. Then turn around, and they're loving, and graceful, and endlessly inventive. They're all here in this delightful book, in all their warm, exasperating, funny, fussy, glamorous glory.

This book is a must have for all cat lovers! The pictures make you smile and the captions make you laugh. These photographs encompass the personalities and emotions of the cats that grace them.
Wonderfully done!

I have to repeat it, WHAT A HAPPY LITTLE BOOK! Being in the animal care field (I work at a non-profit, privately funded shelter) not only do I collect books on animals, of course, I see a lot of sad situations everyday in my field. When this book arrived from Amazon (prompt as usual), after a hard day at the shelter, I was immediately overjoyed by the beauty of it and it helped me realize "Yes, this is why I do what I do, because people care"! The photography is excellent, sort of a photojournalistic point of view and the style of printing is in a soft, sepia tone. The captions for each photograph are right on target. Now to order her book on dogs....

All I could think about while I was looking through this beautiful book was how much I wished I could contract Ms. Montrose to take portraits of my cats. How thrilled the guardians of these cats must feel to have these gorgeous portraits of their cat companions.

I work for a publishing company so the typesetting did not escape my notice, either. Called "CatLover" it was designed by the author as per the cip page, and is so hip and quirky and appropriate. Impressive.

The format of the book is a photograph or photographs of a cat, it's name which falls into alphabetical order like Webster's on a much smaller scale, and then captioned by three definitions of the accompanied cat. My favorite is Gracie because that is the name of one of my own cat companions.

When you buy this book, get two. One for yourself and one for another cat lover in your life.

Makes a perfect Holiday gift! Shows the vibrancy and timeless appeal of New York.

Makes a perfect Holiday gift! Shows the vibrancy and timeless appeal of New York.

This photographic excursion through Central Park is a real delight. It is just what we all need to remind us of the splendor and joy of New York. The photographs are breathtaking and the text is beautifully wirtten , with just a touch of humor and humility.After enjoying the book myself, I've ordered a number for holiday gifts. I've already heard form some of the folks I sent it to and they share my enthusiam. The real advice: if you don't get this for the holidays, buy it for yourself to get you through the January doldrums.

by showing us his "park for all seasons". With his spectacular pictures of the monuments and statuary, the animals, the foliage, the rock formations, the whimisical pictures like the Bride and Groom on rollar skates, the shots of the same setting in different lights, the fountains (and my particular favorite, a sudden snow storm interrupting spring), Mr Freund takes us on a magical trip through the park. There are photos of spots you never knew existed but will long to explore. As a bonus, there are great tips for all of us amateur photographers. And "Lucy" has my vote for cutest dog of the year! Especially in these difficult times, the book is a wonderful reminder to everyone of the beauty and wonder that exists right in the middle of New York City. I couldn't stop smiling as I looked through it. Thank you, Mr. Freund for sharing "your" park with us.

This remains the essential guidebook to Chinoiserie. I only wish that there were more photos of how Chinoiserie is being used today in fresh, new and inventive ways. But the historical images and text are superb.

If you're into Chinoserie at all, this is a beautiful addition to your design library- that is, if you can refrain from cutting up the book to hang the pages on the wall. I couldn't, and now I have a beautiful graphic collection of framed panels from this book over my living room sofa. I'm buying a second copy of the book just so I can keep one to read. The text accompanying each structure is great reading- I especially loved seeing Marie Anoinette's merry-go-round from Versailles.

This is one of the definative books on Chinoiseries, when it came out it was cost prohibative to purchase, but this reprint is much more moderatly priced. Really, the book is beautiful and the knowledge of the two authors on this subject is unparalled. For me, Chinoiseries really is an aquired taste, it is gorgeous on many levels, but very distinct. It's like you either love it or hate it, there seems to be no middle ground on this style. If you have any interest in this style or just appreciate beautiful books then i cant imagine you not loving this book; really the last word on Chinoiseries.

Chinoiseries This book is full of so many architectual chinoiseries that I never knew existed. One wants to remove the print pages from the book for framing. I stayed transfixed on the illustrations of each page and it is as if I were transplanted into a chic fantasy world. The style and the colors are awesome. I found it difficult to read about each particular structure as my eyes kept being diverted to the illustrations. I had some reservations about ordering this book as I did not need another coffee table book; however, the quality that is found among the pages makes this a must-see for the artist in all of us.

this is a beautiful book. the minute i saw metzker's work i was mesmerized by the way he sees and interprets light, and the way he uses people in his photograph. i am not really writing this as a review, rather as a recommendation to buy this book - and while you can't buy it here for under a hundred, hit up amazon.co.uk, where you can buy it for a reasonable price (my copy was about 50...new...and beautiful!) it is one of my most treasured books....

This is a fantastic collection of street photography by an often overlooked photographer. Metzer's photographs are brilliant scenes of bright light and deep shadow. The deep chiaroscuro of film noir cinematography is the first thing that comes to mind. His juxapositions of shadows, buildings and people are simply beautiful, and at the same time very lonely. If you can, I would recommend seeing this exhibit in person (at the Laurence Miller Gallery, NYC). Otherwise, definitely pick up this book.

This is a "must have" for Metzker fans and other late 20th century photography afficianados. These are starkly contrasted b/w photos that are both abstract design and life commentary. You will want to cut out each image and hang it on your wall. But don't. The book itself is too elegant.

The photos of this book further the photographer's thinking as it is conveyed through a photograph. The photos display strong evidence of a conscious mind behind a camera interpreting what is in front of it. The photos are graceful, delightful and engulfing. Their rending in the book itself is spectacular. The prints being seen for the first time are strongly supported by the remaining work. Together they lend towards the viewer's discovery of the photographer's thinking in making these photographs. Several varied series of photographs are displayed. Truely a gift to look so far into the creative process.

As someone who saw Moriyama's fantastic show at the SF MOMA I had to buy this book. Great gritty black and white photos examining post WWII Japanese Culture. Includes a fairly extensive intro detailing his influences and his career.

Book is well done - Beautiful photography ! Recommended to anyone that likes great photographs.

Some of the finest modern photography from Japan has been produced by Daido Moriyama. Defying any categories (including the "modern" one I gave him above, Moriyama stretches the boundaries of photography and peers into the dark and blurry places that scare us. The book's comments on each photo are extremely worthwhile also, providing an insight into Daido's work that isn't found elsewhere.

I've seen several books and articles on Japanese photography that seem to feature bad cameras, low resolution, muddy printing/reproduction. This is one of them. However, the pictures are disturbing, affecting. Some don't work for me.

Does it help to say, I lost a copy of this in a fire, and am buying it back?

Or that I recommend it highly to anybody who thinks they need better equipment to take good photographs.

This is a book remarkable for its depicting the so many facets of UNITY. Its stated and documented variety in unity is achieved by capturing the unity in variety of all self-described Jews. Yet, such generous conclusion soon becomes the premise of an inference, one cannot abstain from, about the unity of all humankind.

Great photos that span over several decades, continents, countries, and one people along a vast continuum. The subjects do a certain amount of posing as if in preparation for the moment the reader meets them all. And the reader has the option to meet them in any sequence OR summon all these geo-temporal instances in one place, at one time.

Great photos, consistent quality and presentation technique, good commentary in the second volume. Excellent gift to us all!

I rarely enjoy a "coffee table book" but this is so much more. It is absolutely brilliant-- the many essays are brief but thoughtful and a wonderful companion for the photos which span the evolution of a 25 year career-- or rather-- vocation. Highly recommended.

I read about this book in Pop Photo Magazine (www.pophoto.com) and was very intrigued by it. I got the book and it is awesome! It's probably the most comprehensive photographic look at the Diaspora that I've ever seen. A great Hanukah present!

French photographer Frederic Brenner has brilliantly documented Jewish life in the Diaspora with his magnificent photographs. He has spent the last twenty-five years traveling through over forty countries, on five continents, creating and compiling this collection of images of Jewish communities, faces and culture. Brenner has woven a thread, through the visual image, that shows a people united in their heritage.

This beautiful two volume set is presented in a heavy laminated slipcase. Volume I, PHOTOGRAPHS, contains 262 of Brenner's black and white photos, 2 two-page color photographs, and one map. There are images of a Jewish Harley-Davidson motorcycle club with members posed in front of a Miami Beach synagogue; Jewish workers and their children from Birobidzhan, the former Soviet Union's Jewish autonomous region; portraits of modern Jewish writers living in Austria and Germany; women who have lost their children to the secret police in Argentina; Marranos in Portugal who continue the tradition of celebrating the Passover secretly; Jewish men selling Christian souvenirs in Rome's St. Peter's Piazza; a spiritual gathering of Navahos and Jews in Arizona; Jewish barbers from Tajikistan and merchants from Calcutta. The only color photographs in the book show a yellow swatch of cloth printed with the Star of David that Jews were forced to wear under the Nazis. There is an entire room covered in the same cloth - a photograph commissioned for the Vienna State Opera that hung there as a stage curtain.

Volume II, VOICES, contains writings - essays and commentary from such modern intellectuals and authors as Carlos Fuentes, Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, Georges Steiner, André Aciman, Jacques Derrida and the voices of the people photographed.

Frederic Brenner wrote, "The Jews I have photographed are all contemporary, but together they reflect a full spectrum of space and time . . . Diaspora: An experience of dispossession and discontinuity. . . . The photographs enable us to see and acknowledge the multiple threads from which we are woven, to listen to and acknowledge the multiple voices within us, even when paradoxical and discordant."

These massive albums represent a tremendous achievement. Brenner has given a gift to us all. These books deserve a place of honor in the home.
JANA

This book offers a key to Joel-Peter Witkin's art missing from previously publications featuring his work. His choice of 'ancestors' for his own work is enlightening, fascinating, stimulating and often startling. Anyone interested in photographic history and photographic purposes can learn from this book. An additional bonus is that it is beautifully designed and produced.

A book that will satisfy both the avid fans of Joel Peter Witkin's art and newcomers to this modern genius' output. We earn more about influence and process than we ever thought we would know. This beautifully presented volume is both an homage to Witkin's mentors and a celebration of his gifts as Master of the Bizarre. A fine addition to the volumes on Witkin and to the library of Fine Art Photography in general.

This book, whose "original French edition" was "Joel-Peter Witkin, disciple et maître" published in Paris by Marval in 2000, is valuable for two reasons. First, it "unites Witkin's photographs" with previous photos that inspired Witkin; in contrast, to understand some of Witkin's famous photographs based on paintings*, you often need to scurry around to find reproductions of the paintings. Second, similar to Ansel Adams's book "Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs" (1989), this book gives insights into the artist's thought processes that led to the creation of his photos.

This book starts with an essay, "Joel-Peter Witkin, Disciple and Master" by Pierre Borhan. It rambles a bit, but is overall informative.

The central part of the book is "Becoming a Camera" with "texts by" and "selection of images" by Witkin, and "with the collaboration of Eugenia Parry." Here are the names of the photographers who inspired Witkin, and the titles of Witkin's resulting works: Mayer & Pierson -> "The Prince Imperial, New Mexico, 1981"; Weegee -> "Fetishist, San Francisco, 1981"; Jacques Henri Lartigue -> "Collector of Fluids, New Mexico, 1982"; Wilhelm von Gloeden -> "Von Gloeden in Asien, New York, 1984"; unidentified -> "Amour, New Mexico, 1987"; Lewis Carroll -> "Apollonia and Dominatrix Creating Pain in the Art of the West, New York City, 1988"; Carl Lumholz -> "Nude with Mask, Los Angeles, 1988"; Brassai -> "Woman with Appendage, New Mexico, 1988"; Charles Negre -> "Negre's Fetishist, Paris, 1990"; Man Ray -> "Woman Once a Bird, Los Angeles, 1990"; Walker Evans -> "Feast of Fools, Mexico City, 1990"; Diane Arbus -> "Man with Dog, Mexico, 1990"; Jean-Baptiste Sabatier-Blot -> "Satiro, Mexico, 1992"; Felix Nadar and Adrien Tournachon -> "Dog on a Pillow, Marseille 1994"; Charles Winter -> "Studio de Winter, Paris, 1996"; Roger Fenton -> "Who Naked Is, Paris, 1996"; Henri Cartier-Bresson -> "The Shepherd's Sunday, Rome, 1996"; Disfarmer -> "Black Man, Rome, 1996"; Kimura Kenichi -> "The Eggs of My Amnesia, Rome, 1996"; unidentified -> "Abundance, Prague, 1997"; Roger Fenton -> "Still Life with Mirror, 1998"; Etienne-Jules Marey -> "Beauty has Three Nipples, Berlin, 1998"; unidentified -> "Anna Akhmatova, Paris, 1998"; F. Holland Day -> "Crucified Horse, New Mexico, 1998"; Henri Manuel -> "Shoe-F__ker, Paris, 1998"; and Horst P. Horst -> "Humor and Fear, New Mexico, 1998."

A one-page epilogue by Witkin (stating, among other things, "I know that I will be remembered as a Christian artist" and "I believe that my work will make a contribution to history") and credits conclude the book. Buy this and other books by and about Witkin** at Amazon.com!

Note: This book is not for the squeamish. As is common in Witkin's work, the book shows plenty of nudity, body parts, S&M, a dead baby, a dead fetus, etc. And the "Nude with Mask" is a four-year-old girl.

* Among which are: "Las Meninas, New Mexico" (1987) which was inspired by "The Family of Philip IV or 'Las Meninas' " (1656) by Diego Velázquez de Silva; "Gods of Earth and Heaven" (1988) which was inspired by "The Birth of Venus" (1485) by Botticelli; and "Studio of the Painter (Courbet), Paris" (1990) which was inspired by "The Artist's Studio: a Real Allegory of a Seven-Year Phase in My Artistic and Moral Life" (1855) by Gustave Courbet.

** Such as: "Joel-Peter Witkin: Forty Photographs" (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1985 & 1992); "Joel-Peter Witkin" (Twelvetrees Press, 1985); "Gods of Earth and Heaven" (Twelvetrees Press, 1989 & 1991); "Harms Way: Lust & Madness, Murder & Mayhem: A Book Of Photographs" (Twin Palms, 2nd ed., 1994); "Witkin" (with text by Germano Celant, Scalo, 1995); "The Bone House" (Twin Palms, 1998); and "Joel-Peter Witkin" (by Eugenia Parry, Phaidon, 2001).

This book gives readers a unique view into the work and mind of Joel-Peter Witkin. Not only does it provide us with a good sampling of his own thought-provoking imagery, but also with visual references of the works that have influenced his photographs. In addition, Witkin gives us, in his own words, written insight, a personal interpretation of some of the images he has created. It is put together nicely with the text preceeding the photographs so that the photos occupy seperate pages. In this way the text enhances the viewing rather than interrupts it.
Highly recommended.

In looking through the photographs of this book I keep catching my breath. Remember how it was in the city then? Uncanny how the visual can be so associated with smell - burning and falling debris, our New York. If you were not here then or perhaps anywhere in blighted urban USA of the 1970's you would find it impossible to believe that this is the same place, so different now with the returned from the suburbs children of the gentry. But the thing that makes this book special, a work of the heart, are the photos of the people who inhabited our city then. The smiles and arms around each others shoulders in camaraderie testify to the power of heart. We would do well to take lesson from the power of this story as we watch dumfounded today as urban budgets are once again slashed. When the going gets tough will this city become once again a shadow of its former self? And if so would we have now that heart that keeps a community real on the inside while the outside tumbles?
Great book! Great photos.

Here is poetry in photographs. Like fine poetry, it pulls you into the action and makes you want to stay. Kahane neither sentimentalizes nor objectifies her subject. Instead, she lets you see how she finds worth and beauty in the South Bronx of a certain time. She invites you to see what she sees while giving you room to feel your own way through her subject.

An essay by Peter Frank and text by local artists expand the presentation. Whether or not you are familiar with the subject, you will learn as you immerse yourself in this book. Kahane states, "I recorded the Bronx in an attempt to explain it to myself." You will certainly try to explain it to yourself, too. Then you will start wondering what questions she will give us next.

This book is an antidote for the depressing excess of plastic and canned music that swamp us during the holidays, offering instead a hopeful reality.

As an aficionado of New York in the 70's and 80's, as well as being a lifelong New Yorker I found this book to be wonderful. It gives a glimpse of the creative scene contrasting with the culture of the South Bronx during a tumultuous time in the city's history.I find myself looking at it over and over.

The book documents the decay of the Bronx in the late 60s
through the early 80s. Both Presidents Carter and Reagan
visited the Bronx. I'm certain that President Clinton
has done the same. Page after page documents the run-down
buildings which were once proud edifices around the turn
of the previous century.

After a number of decades, the South Bronx has seen
a considerable restoration. The Bronx Land Reclamation
Project is put forth as a success story
in the continuing revival of the Bronx. Many pages have
actual pictures of local residents. Some of the pictures
are familiar to me. The presentation is an important
contribution to the continuing restoration of NYC and
the Bronx in particular. The author should have stressed
the role of "enterprise zones" in the restoration of
inner city neighborhoods.

Oct. 3, 2002
I must be honest and say that I have known Francis Tack for many years and that we have travelled together to the Sahara and other deserts a good many times.
This being said, I still try to look very objectively at his work.
The book is a work of art, and there exists no other equivalent publication on the subject. The narrative by Paul Robin, a scientific writer who spent the better part of his youth in the Sahara, is very well researched, yet remains perfectly accessible to a neophyte and also poetic. The graphic design and photo reproduction quality are outstanding.
Most important is the quality of the photography itself. The author of three previously published books and the recipient of many photo prizes and awards, Francis Tack has worked for many years on his "Dunes" project, offering us a magical trip through the sands of the world thanks to his mastery of composition and light. Everyone I know who has received the book remains glued to it and keeps turning the pages over and over. I do the same and will continue to do so for quite a while.
Let yourself be transported into the magical realm of the sand deserts. You won't be disappointed, guaranteed.

My compliments to the photographer Francis Tack. A complete overview of the most beautiful deserts and dunes on many different continents all over the world. I'm only missing the Dutch dunes.

Francis Tack and Paul Robin have created a masterpiece with this book. A lot of so-called coffee-table books / photographic books are rather thin on factual information. Not so this book. Apart from breathtaking photographs it also contains excellent information on how dunes build up and move etc.

A phantastic book that is worth every penny of its price.

Oct. 3, 2002
I must be honest and say that I have known Francis Tack for many years and that we have travelled together to the Sahara and other deserts a good many times.
This being said, I still try to look very objectively at his work.
The book is a work of art, and there exists no other equivalent publication on the subject. The narrative by Paul Robin, a scientific writer who spent the better part of his youth in the Sahara, is very well researched, yet remains perfectly accessible to a neophyte and also poetic. The graphic design and photo reproduction quality are outstanding.
Most important is the quality of the photography itself. The author of three previously published books and the recipient of many photo prizes and awards, Francis Tack has worked for many years on his "Dunes" project, offering us a magical trip through the sands of the world thanks to his mastery of composition and light. Everyone I know who has received the book remains glued to it and keeps turning the pages over and over. I do the same and will continue to do so for quite a while.
Let yourself be transported into the magical realm of the sand deserts. You won't be disappointed, guaranteed.