My favourite art books are photography compendiums - heavy coffee table collections where the grainy faces stare out from the pages with the same immediacy as the moment they were caught on camera.
The Family of Man is a really classic collection. The photos are completely timeless and the beautiful images make up a groundbreaking series that set the scene for the development of photojournalism as an art - which raises a whole new host of questions. If you are interested in this debate, visit the Pulitzer Prize Photography exhibition at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.. The photos are jarring, and there is a series of short interviews with some of the winners who discuss how they captured the event on film, and what it feels like to have their image - often a private moment of pain and suffering - achieve international acclaim.
The Family of Man is a really classic collection. The photos are completely timeless and the beautiful images make up a groundbreaking series that set the scene for the development of photojournalism as an art - which raises a whole new host of questions. If you are interested in this debate, visit the Pulitzer Prize Photography exhibition at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.. The photos are jarring, and there is a series of short interviews with some of the winners who discuss how they captured the event on film, and what it feels like to have their image - often a private moment of pain and suffering - achieve international acclaim.
On This Site is an eerie series of now vacant landscapes where heinous crimes once occurred. Thumbing through is uncomfortably compelling. The unsettling experience speaks to the power of photos beyond the image, and it presents an interesting alternative to the frozen action of photojournalism.
A photography book that thrives on words as much as images is Homeless. Portraits of street-dwellers in San Francisco are accompanied by the words of the subjects themselves. They range from schizophrenic rants on being chased by the FBI, to heartrending tales of abandonment, abuse and escape. Sometimes it is hard to discern between the two, and the photographer offers no further explanation, save the weary faces of the subjects.
To India With Love is a visual explosion that combines snazzy graphic design with artistic motifs and classic photographs. The book is a sensory treat that captures the vibrant colors, fragrant smells and exotic sounds of India between it's pages. The collection is designed as homage to the nation in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks,and the pages are punctuated with 'love letters' from actors, artists and designers who have fallen in love with the country. Perhaps an overly nostalgic and unrealistic view of India, the book nevertheless captures the ongoing romance and optimism of a country so rich in history and tradition, as it enters the modern world, full throttle.
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