Big Book

[Bill Pierce]

Carl Weese emailed me the following bookmark. I was one of the many people who worked with Gene on the “Big Book,” and I find this review intelligent and accurate.

http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/the_big_book_20140328

 

[Michael Markey]

Thank you for that.
I was so looking forward to this book being published but the reviews weren`t encouraging.
I still remain undecided after reading this.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

The last line in the review prompts me to ask: Who has say-so for Gene Smith's estate? I thought it was Aileen Smith.

 

[Kevcaster]

I have not seen the book and so cannot comment. What disturbs me about a fair amount of modern publishing is the imprints of the designers and biographers on the pictures of the authors. One can always wish for the selection of photographs that perfectly represent our personal choices and unreasonable to seek that. What is reasonable is to have the authors work represented in the best possible light.
The Capa Taro show had just that right balance for me with original period prints where possible and modern prints where not, a good balance of the original magazine layouts and enlarged panels to create some atmosphere - the prints were the stars of the show not the curator. We can only speculate as to what Smith thought of this book, I'm with the reviewer and think he would have been horrified.

 

[Sparrow]

... yes, it's too easy for biographers designers and editors to reinterpret an artist's intentions

Sadly I haven't seen the Capa-Taro exhibition, but I did get to see Henri's Scrapbook exhibition close up a few years back. It too was a mix of his own negs and postcard size prints, and larger period and modern prints ... it was very informative to see revered images printed as postcard size by the artist