latest additions to your library

Alex Webb and Rebbecca Norris Webb, "Violet Isle" came today.

This book about Cuba is Webb's last dance with Kodachrome and the collaborative is a nice departure from the usual singular essays as Alex portrays people in layers and Rebbecca shows animals in more isolated yet urban fashion.
 
would love to take a look at this next B&G, Ray *hint, hint* *nudge, nudge*

finally picked up Salgado's Workers -- wonderful images and almost too many of them. But, why, oh why, did they pick a vertical format when the vast majority are landscape orientation? Almost every shot goes right through the gutter. It's such an amateurish move that detracts significantly from the images. You'd think this was Aperture's first photobook or something 🙁 Mind boggling
RayPA said:
Robert Frank's "7 Stories" - by Steidl. It's fabulous and typical of Frank's innovative and unique approach to photo "books".

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Papercut said:
would love to take a look at this next B&G, Ray *hint, hint* *nudge, nudge*
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I'll take that as meaning you'll *make* the next b&g. 😉🙄 I'll bring the Frank book.

Papercut said:
finally picked up Salgado's Workers -- wonderful images and almost too many of them. But, why, oh why, did they pick a vertical format when the vast majority are landscape orientation? Almost every shot goes right through the gutter. It's such an amateurish move that detracts significantly from the images. You'd think this was Aperture's first photobook or something 🙁 Mind boggling
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I was just looking at Workers last night in a bookstore. I just flipped through it, but I noticed a lot of the photos spanned the gutter. I thought only the Japanese did that!


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Haha -- I'll never live missing the last one down. I'll be there for the next -- assuming I'm in the country of course. Last time was a fluke as I was burning the candle at both ends to finish a chapter 🙂 Frank's "7 Stories" looks interesting, and with one of them being on China, well ... I just -have- to take a look! 😀

I'm guessing that Salgado himself was less than happy (at least eventually) with the format of Workers, because he switched to a landscape orientation for Africa and the result is noticeably better (though even still they ran some images across the binding). Personally, I would always prefer a smaller presentation that lets me see the whole image over a larger one that puts a portion in the gutter, but what do I know?
 
Papercut said:
good question -- I wish I knew.
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Maybe shipping wise? But I also wonder about the books' spine, which is lettered the other way around on German books. 🙄😀

That workers book might be interesting, but now that you tell me about that many photos going through the gutter it is not that cool anymore...
 
Well, the images themselves are really worth it, don't worry on that score. Salgado has a tremendous eye -- the images in here are wonderful -- and he pairs it with his social consciousness. It's well done in those respects.

And the editor(s) did move the image borders left or right so that the gutter usually doesn't cut right through a main subject's face, for example. But, I just ran through and counted: 148 images go across the gutter and I can't help but feel that as a whole the vertical design decision robs the book of some of the impact/presence that it could (should) of had.

Still, I don't regret buying it; it's an impressive work from one of the most important living photographers.

Florian1234 said:
Maybe shipping wise? But I also wonder about the books' spine, which is lettered the other way around on German books. 🙄😀

That workers book might be interesting, but now that you tell me about that many photos going through the gutter it is not that cool anymore...
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End Zone - Don Delilo, fantastic book. It was a gift from a friend when he visited recently from OZ.

American Pictures - Jacob Holdt, I'm assuming many have seen this book. The same Aussie gave this to my girlfriend, it's pretty incredible.

Park Life - it's a little Zine in an ongoing series of publications by a friend and local photographer here in Toronto Jeremy Jansen. If you're in Toronto you can get ahold of one for free from Sam James Coffee Bar on Harbord or probably at Clint Roenisch gallery down on Queen St. West.
 
Doug Keyes, Collective Memory -- photographs of books, each photographed laid open on a plain black background ... but each image is a multiple exposure of many pages. Thus, each photograph visually compresses the book as the books' text, illustrations and/or photos overlay each other and combine into ghostly and wonderful patterns. An original way of seeing/experiencing one of my favorite things in life: books.
 
I had a copy of Edges by Harry Gruyaert arrive from Amazon with the corners damaged so I sent it back and hope the replacement copy is far better packed than the first one. Still cost me $45 in postage to return it (the book is large format and costs just over $100 - it is my Christmas present). Gruyaert is a Magnum photographer with a very incisive eye, though his work is very subtle.

In return my wife will be receiving Night Walk by Michael Kenna. The last book I got was Circus by Bruce Davidson, an absolute gem.

Cheers, Phil
 
I've had this damaged book problem with Amazon UK, I got Jane Bown's Exposures from them recently and was relieved to find the book in one piece. Amazon used to pack really well but now they're cutting costs. I got yet another email from Amazon this morning that Bruce Davidson's massive Journey of Consciousness is still not available, so I went to the Steidl web site and it isn't due for publication until February 2010, just in case others are also frustrated. That was supposed to be my Christmas present...
 
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