Two New (Photo) Books to Read

Geoff Dyer, The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand. University of Texas Press, 240 pages, $60. (links to other Amazons at the bottom of this post)

From the publisher's promo: "Award-winning writer Geoff Dyer has admired Winogrand’s work for many years. Modeled on John Szarkowski’s classic book Atget, The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand is a masterfully curated selection of one hundred photographs from the Winogrand archive at the Center for Creative Photography, with each image accompanied by an original essay.

"Dyer takes the viewer/reader on a wildly original journey through both iconic and unseen images from the archive, including eighteen previously unpublished color photographs. The book encompasses most of Winogrand’s themes and subjects and remains broadly faithful to the chronological and geographical facts of his life, but Dyer’s responses to the photographs are unorthodox, eye-opening, and often hilarious. This inimitable combination of photographer and writer, images and text, itself offers what Dyer claims for Winogrand’s photography—an education in seeing."

Robert Adams, Art Can Help. Yale University Art Gallery, 92 pages, $17.85 (links to other Amazons at the bottom of this post)

From the publisher's promo: "Following an introduction, the book begins with two short essays on the works of the American painter Edward Hopper, an artist venerated by Adams. The rest of this compilation contains texts—more than half of which have never before been published—that contemplate one or two works by an individual artist. The pictures discussed are by noted photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Emmet Gowin, Dorothea Lange, Abelardo Morell, Edward Ranney, Judith Joy Ross, John Szarkowski, and Garry Winogrand. Several essays summon the words of literary figures, including Virginia Woolf and Czeslaw Milosz. Adams’s voice is at once intimate and accessible, and is imbued with the accumulated wisdom of a long career devoted to making and viewing art. This eloquent and moving book champions art that fights against disillusionment and despair."

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

JG: "Maybe it's just me, but the words 'with each image accompanied by an original essay' pretty much killed any interest I might have had in the Winogrand book. Personally, I buy photography books to look at the photos, not to read about them (or worse, essays inspired by them.) Of the 400 or so books in my modest collection, the number of times I have found the accompanying essays or texts to be a significant factor in my enjoyment of them can easily be counted using fewer than ten fingers."

Ed Hawco responds to JG: "I'm the complete opposite of JG; the words 'with each image accompanied by an original essay' pretty much sealed the deal for me, even though it's $84 up here in the great white north (Canada). To each their own."

David Boyce: "I'm certainly going to check out the Dyer/Winogrand book. Don't think I have ever read anything by Dyer that hasn't either improved my knowledge and understanding or got me thinking about the meaning of life/existence/art. Such a great writer. Otherwise Known as the Human Condition should be on everyone's reading list, along with But Beautiful."

Comments

[Manuel]

Dyer's book cover is not very original. It looks like a Blue Note album cover from the 60's. It's just a small thing to rant about, I know, but it puts me off.

[Sean]

I have Geoff Dyer's, The Ongoing Moment, Robert Adam's, Beauty In Photography, and Why People Photograph. There's something restorative about reading Beauty In Photography. In why People Photograph, Adam's describes an encounter with Winogrand in ways that only Adam's could. The Ongoing Moment (in which Winogrand features) will quiet that nagging roommate that tells you it's all been shot before.

I'm wondering whether I should get my tooth fixed, or buy these two new books in the hope that reading them will ease the pain.

Art can help with that

[Maggie Osterberg]

Mike, I thought you never recommended books unless you've finished them.

We don't even know of the photos are ones Winogrand selected himself, or those fished out of his negative files after he died.

I expected more out of you than to just slap a press release up and call it content.

[So, what, I can't make note of books of interest? I can't read everything. Both authors are well known to me from their other work. Decide for yourself.... --Mike]

[Phil Martin]

What a curious bunch of comments so far. Robert Adams is a major favourite of mine, perhaps one of my few remaining heroes? His work has always fascinated and his writing likewise.

And what exactly is wrong with Blue Note record covers?

Thank you Mike for the head's up, I'll certainly be looking out for these two books and probably purchase the Adams over the weekend. Cheers

[Patrick Dodds]

These both look very interesting - thanks for posting about them Mike. The Dyer / Winogrand in particular looks like it might be worth having.

[Barry Reid]

I will buy the Dyer/Winogrand book. I may not always agree with Dyer’s opinions but he is a brilliant, passionate writer on photography. That enthusiasm for the image and for making connections to other (visual or not) art forms made The Ongoing Moment hugely enjoyable and i’m sure Winogrand‘s archive will have given him plenty of opportunities to let his imagination take off.

[Maggie Osterberg]

Mike,

Of course you can alert us to new books coming to market! I guess you've just spoiled me, because you always have something to say, some insight, to the books you tell us about.

This post just kind of lacked the...well...Mike-ness.

Sorry if I came off as scolding. I see that I did. I could have used a little Mike-ness in my comment.

[No problem M.O. Really, though, what better way to indicate that it's NOT a review, than to just post a snippet of the publisher's description? I always figure you can do anything, as long as the reader knows where you're honestly coming from. It's been workin' so far, mostly. --Mike

[Eric Peterson]

One more vote for anything Geoff Dyer writes!

From The Ongoing Moment, "Eggleston's photographs look like they were taken by a Martian who lost the ticket for his flight home and ended up working at a gun shop in small town near Memphis." Yowza! And lest anyone think it mean spirited, it ain't.

Or check out his wonderful dialogue with Janet Malcolm in Aperture a few years back.

As far as the model for the Winogrand book being Szarkowski's accompanying essays to Atget's photos, there is nothing finer. Beyond simple enjoyment, I re-read them on occasion for a nourishing source of comfort.

A final note, just got another book from U of Texas Press: Ghost Notes by B+ (aka Brian Cross). Really innovative stuff

[Dillan]

I always really liked Blue Note album covers.

[scott kirkpatrick]

I'm also reacting to the first few comments. It's the Adams book that I immediately ordered, after reading some of his Hopper comments and the table of contents for the rest.

BTW, you mentioned another booksale that might come right after Christmas. Is that still in the works?

[Ken Tanaka]

Anything Robert Adams writes is likely to be worth a look. Sometimes it’s a gem, sometimes it’s just a rock. But it’s at least worth $18 to have a look. I’ll bite.

Normally I’d ditto those remarks for Geoff Dyer. I, too, saw this book announced. But I’m suspicious of a book titled “The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand” that weighs-in at 240 pages. I think the subject could easily have been covered on a 4x6 index card...with room for footnotes. I think I’ll wait on this one.

We’re reaching the end of an era of great photography philosophy. The batters are each trying to get their last raps in, and much of the recent photo writings I’ve read, mainly in show catalog essays, is non-nutritive warmed-over and heavily spiced left-overs. Not much left to be said about old photographers and no new photographers worth saying much about.

Thanks Mike.