Photo Essays:
Both the New York Times and Washington Post are investing in original photojournalism and creating dynamic, interactive online stories. Check out two recent stories featuring the work of National Geographic's David Guttenfelder and Reportage by Getty Images' Charles Ommanney.
Illuminating North Korea
New York Times
Photographs and Video by David Guttenfelder
One family’s journey from Aleppo to Austria
Washington Post
Photographs by Charles Ommanney
Book Review:
Photography Visionaries
Mary Warner Marien
“The enemy of photography is convention, the fixed rules of ‘how it’s done’ - László Moholy-Nagy 1895-1946
This is one of the many quotes in this wonderful edition that has fast become one of the most important reference books on my shelf. Beginning with Eugéne Atget and ending with Liu Zheng, Photography Visionaries features 75 of the most influential photographers throughout the medium’s history.
Photography Visionaries is a book of revelations, as one cannot know all the works, even of the masters. That’s what’s so exciting about this book, the fact that you learn something new, even if it is a small detail, like Berenice Abbott took Atget’s portrait in 1927. Or that Imogen Cunningham's pregnant nude, which evokes feminist values was taken in 1946. Or that Margaret Bourke-White’s photographs of the Louisville Flood of 1937 speak of racial issues as much as economic and environmental. The book encompasses the breadth of photographic genres from documentary, street photography, and photojournalism to fine art.
Ernest Cole
Frances Benjamin Johnston
Geraldine Krull
Gordon Parks
European and American photographers dominate, but there is also representation from Japan, China, India, Russia, Latin America and Mexico as well as South Africa. Each chapter features an individual photographer, with a short overview, career timeline and a handful of pictures. My only wish is that there could have been more photographs from each, but then the book would have taken on encyclopaedic proportions.
The production values of the publication are first class and photographs in both colour and black and white have been exquisitely reproduced. The design layout makes it easy to navigate. There is also a valuable ‘further reading’ section at the rear.
Graciela Iturbide
Josef Koudelka
Mario Giacomelli
Peter Magubane
Standouts include Alexander Rodchenko (Russia), Lisette Model (Austria), Walker Evans (US), Nacho López (Mexico), Mario Giacomelli (Italy), Daidõ Moriyama (Japan), Frances Benjamin Johnston (US), Carrie Mae Weems (US), Santu Mofokeng, Ernest Cole (South Africa) and Lui Zheng (China). But in all honesty every photographer included has produced some truly brilliant work and getting to know a little of their story is enlightening.
“All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.” Richard Avedon (1923-2004)
Photography Visionaries
Laurence King Publishing
Exhibitions in Brief:
Melbourne
Buddha's Robes
Tobi Wilkinson
2 July - 1 August
Colour Factory Gallery
409-429 Gore St
Fitzroy
Sydney
Aquaticus - Group Show
Photographic artists Annabelle Gaspar, Graham Shearer, Toby Burrows and Michaela Skovranova come together in this group exhibition through a shared interest in water.
(C) Toby Burrows - Soliloquy
(C) Toby Burrows - Soliloquy
(C) Toby Burrows - Soliloquy
(C) Michaela Skovranova
(C) Annabelle Gaspar
(C) Annabelle Gaspar
(C) Graham Shearer
Until 12 July
Blackeye Gallery
3/138 Darlinghurst Rd,
Darlinghurst
