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Photo Book Review – Beyond Caring by Paul Graham
Photo Book Review – Beyond Caring by Paul Graham Beyond Caring by Paul Graham is available from Mack Books, here. All images ©Paul Graham Paul Graham’s Beyond Caring is an extraordinary and poignant exploration of socio-political conditions in mid-1980s Britain, a work that operates at the intersection of documentary photography, social critique, and artistic innovation. Published in 1985, the photobook provides an unflinching visual narrative of the bleak environments of the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) offices, where the unemployed and socially disadvantaged were subjected to prolonged bureaucratic indifference. Graham’s work transcends mere documentation; it is a profound commentary on the human cost of systemic neglect,…
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Book Review – Sophie Calle’s Take Care of Yourself
Book Review – Sophie Calle’s Take Care of Yourself As an avid collector of photobooks, readers will know of my deep fondness for second-hand bookshops, where I’m always on the lookout for hidden treasures. This week, my senses were finely attuned as I wandered into one such store, and to my delight, I came across a mint, first edition of Sophie Calle’s Take Care of Yourself. Having previously studied this remarkable work, I was thrilled to discover it on the shelf—a true gem I never expected to find. Stumbling upon this book felt like an extraordinary stroke of luck, and I couldn’t be more elated by the serendipity of it.…
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Book Review: The Last Safe Abortion by Carmen Winant
Book Review: The Last Safe Abortion by Carmen Winant Winner of THE AUTHOR BOOK AWARD at the Rencontres d’Arles Book Awards, 2024 Having previously reviewed Carmen Winant’s striking photo book My Birth, I was eager to engage with her latest work, The Last Safe Abortion. Known for her ability to blend profoundly personal subject matter with broader feminist and sociopolitical concerns, Winant’s work consistently challenges the way we view intimate yet universal experiences. While My Birth explored the raw and transformative act of childbirth through over 2,000 archival photographs, The Last Safe Abortion shifts focus to the quiet, often invisible world of abortion care and its importance as a feminist…
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Book Review: A Woman I Once Knew by Rosalind Fox Solomon
Book Review: A Woman I Once Knew by Rosalind Fox Solomon Rosalind Fox Solomon’s A Woman I Once Knew is an evocative and deeply personal exploration of identity, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. Known for her extraordinary ability to capture the human condition through photography, Fox Solomon turns her lens inward in this book, crafting a narrative as intimate as it is universal. Through a fragmented, poetic structure, she invites the reader into her reflections on femininity, relationships, and the shifting perceptions of self that come with age and experience. This review will examine A Woman I Once Knew’s thematic depth, stylistic choices, and emotional resonance. While its…
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Book Review: Painting Photography Painting by Carol Armstrong
Book Review: Painting Photography Painting by Carol Armstrong Painting Photography Painting: Selected Essays by Carol Armstrong, published by Mack Books in 2023, is an ambitious collection of essays that delves into the intersections of visual art forms, specifically painting and photography. This compilation represents Armstrong’s decades-long engagement with art history, feminist theory, and critical analysis of visual culture, making it an illuminating read for both art enthusiasts and academic audiences. Painting Photography Painting: Selected Essays All images – Courtesy of the artist and MACK. The Essence of Artistic Inquiry At the heart of Armstrong’s essays lies a compelling question: what defines a medium? This query is vividly explored in the…
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Life and Loss: Alessandra Sanguinetti’s On the Sixth Day as a Visual Elegy – Book Review
Life and Loss: Alessandra Sanguinetti’s On the Sixth Day as a Visual Elegy – Book Review Alessandra Sanguinetti’s On the Sixth Day, republished by Mack Books in 2023, is an evocative photobook exploring the lives of animals on a rural Argentine farm. Initially released in 2005 and celebrated for its unsentimental portrayal of life and death in the animal world, this expanded edition includes previously unseen images, enriching the powerful narrative. The title references the biblical creation story, in which animals and humans were brought into existence on the sixth day, grounding the work in a thematic exploration of creation, existence, and mortality. The result is a profoundly poetic and…
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Carmen Winant’s My Birth: A Raw and Transformative Portrait of Creation – Book Review
Carmen Winant’s My Birth: A Raw and Transformative Portrait of Creation – Book Review Carmen Winant’s My Birth is a striking and profoundly introspective photobook that delves into childbirth’s physical, emotional, and societal dimensions. This edition, published by Mack Books in 2024, expands on themes Winant has previously explored, blending personal history with collective experience. The book juxtaposes images of her mother’s births with found photographs of anonymous women during labour, creating a visual tapestry that celebrates birth as both an intimate and communal act. To purchase this book, please go here. All images – Courtesy of the artist and MACK. A Visual Journey Through Birth The book’s structure follows…
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Ray’s a Laugh: A Human Portrait Through Time – Book Review
Ray’s a Laugh: A Human Portrait Through Time – Book Review Richard Billingham’s Ray’s a Laugh has long been hailed as one of the most significant works in contemporary photography. Initially published in the mid-1990s, the photobook offered a brutally honest and raw portrayal of Billingham’s family, particularly his father, Ray, and his mother, Liz, in their cluttered, working-class Birmingham flat. In 2024, Mack Books reissued this iconic work, recontextualizing the original images while expanding the narrative to offer new depth and understanding of the family dynamics. The 2024 edition, referred to as Billingham’s “director’s cut,” expands on the original, offering a more comprehensive collection of images alongside a more…
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Book Review – Larry Sultan’s ‘Swimmers’: A Fascinating and Immersive Dive into Emotion and Eternity
Book Review – Larry Sultan’s ‘Swimmers’: A Fascinating and Immersive Dive into Emotion and Eternity All images – Courtesy of the artist and MACK. Larry Sultan, a luminary of the photographic world, left an indelible mark on visual storytelling through his captivating body of work. His exploration of the human experience and memory unfolds in his masterpiece, “Swimmers.” This comprehensive review delves into Sultan’s artistic journey, the profound context of ‘Swimmers,’ and the echoes of his legacy, marked by his passing, that resonate within the series. The review examines Sultan’s career, the emotional intricacies of ‘Swimmers,’ and the impact of his artistic choices to illuminate the profound narrative that encapsulates…
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Book Review – Francesca Woodman’s Artist’s Books: A Profound Exploration of Narrative, Form, and Immortality
Francesca Woodman’s Artist’s Books: A Profound Exploration of Narrative, Form, and Immortality Francesca Woodman, a prodigious artistic luminary, unfurled her creative wings at a tender age, imprinting her singular style onto the photographic medium. Her oeuvre, celebrated for its innovation and distinctiveness, has journeyed through the realms of solo and group exhibitions, graced the pages of published volumes, and profoundly influenced the realm of photography. Tragically, her life was cut short in 1981, but her artistic legacy endures, captivating the imagination of generations that followed. Yet, until now, the fascinating tapestry of her artist’s books has remained largely unexplored. Pioneering Creativity: A Glimpse into Woodman’s World Francesca Woodman’s artistic…
