On the road again...
I've been stir crazy of late, constantly wishing I was out and about now that I've got most of my health issues under control. Work is work, and offers very little of any sort of outlet for creativity. I've been spending a lot of time with Walker Evans' work and planning to get out and photograph during the summer months.
Today was a test run to the loess hills region north of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The picture above is something I've wanted to photograph for the long time, a (now abandoned) restaurant all by its lonesome at the Honey Creek exit on Interstate 29. The giant letters that mark the roof have been been burned into my memory for as long as I can remember, most likely going back to childhood trips to Nebraska to visit my grandparents.
Also visited: Loveland, Missouri Valley, Logan, and Beebeetown.
Reissued...
I was pleased to discover that William Eggleston's 2 1/4 is once again available for purchase. Twin Palms published the fourth edition of the book earlier this year and it's limited to just 3000 copies worldwide.
My first (and only) experience with this book was through the interlibrary loan system at school. The copy I borrowed had seen better days, but still stands out in my mind as what I like best about Eggleston. While it's really not all that different than his later work, 2 1/4 shows what direction he was heading in and the use of a square sets this work apart from projects like Los Alamos.
2 1/4 is wonderfully printed with large images on every page. Just a fantastic book overall, especially for fans of Eggleston. Get it before it's gone again and only available at inflated prices on the secondary market.
Books On Books
The first four releases of errata editions' Books on Books series are in stores now. Each title features a reproduction of a classic photography book with added insight and commentary on the work.
Walker Evans' American Photographs is the second book in the series and the first I have purchased. The idea behind the series is brilliantly simple. Take the original book, scan the pages, and publish them in a new format. Some of the images are published on a single page, others are placed four to a single page spread. After the reproduction of the full book, some essays about the photographer and the work follow.
Errata did just about everything right with the entire presentation. The half dust jacket looks great and the entire reproduction looks excellent, better than I had expected. Some of the images end up a bit small due to the layout, but that's about the only complaint I've got. Definitely an interesting way to discover books that may be unavailable at the current time.
Other titles in the series include: Eugene Atget's Photographe de Paris, Sophie Ristelheuber's Fait and Chris Killip's En Flagrante.
Five: Photo books from 2008...
I didn't buy enough photo books this year to author a 'best of' list, but here are five books that I really enjoyed this past year.
Ray K. Metzker
Light LinesThis is a beautifully printed book, a collection of much of Metzker's work. He excels at creating abstract black and white photographs out of everyday life, reducing landscapes and people into lines and shapes.
William Christenberry
Working From Memory
For fans of Christenberry, such as myself, Working From Memory is a much appreciated look at the stories behind his work. Each chapter gives a background story for a photograph, all the little details behind what makes them special to the photographer.
Bill Wood's Business
Bill Wood was a commercial photographer from Fort Worth, Texas. Diane Keaton purchased his vault of negatives after his death and eventually put together this exhibition of his work. The collection documents both the serious and odd side of a very straight-forward photographer without pretense.
Zoe Strauss
America
Strauss' America is vivid and recalls Stephen Shore's American Surfaces project, albeit a bit more focused. There's a lot to see, with a lot of photographs, both delightfully mundane in nature and some that may be a little too contrived for my tastes.
Michael Eastman
Vanishing America
Vanishing America is chock full of images. Some layouts are simple, other have a half dozen or more images on a spread of pages. Eastman's work is a massive collection of broken down main streets and all the other small town necessities that are slowly falling apart.
Ray K. MetzkerLight Lines
William ChristenberryWorking From Memory
For fans of Christenberry, such as myself, Working From Memory is a much appreciated look at the stories behind his work. Each chapter gives a background story for a photograph, all the little details behind what makes them special to the photographer.
Bill Wood's BusinessBill Wood was a commercial photographer from Fort Worth, Texas. Diane Keaton purchased his vault of negatives after his death and eventually put together this exhibition of his work. The collection documents both the serious and odd side of a very straight-forward photographer without pretense.
Zoe StraussAmerica
Strauss' America is vivid and recalls Stephen Shore's American Surfaces project, albeit a bit more focused. There's a lot to see, with a lot of photographs, both delightfully mundane in nature and some that may be a little too contrived for my tastes.
Michael EastmanVanishing America
Vanishing America is chock full of images. Some layouts are simple, other have a half dozen or more images on a spread of pages. Eastman's work is a massive collection of broken down main streets and all the other small town necessities that are slowly falling apart.