Lee Friedlander (1) (1934–)

Lee Friedlander's surreal sensibility is on full display in this set of photographs, originally published in 1970. Here Friedlander focuses on the role of his own physical presence in his images. He writes: “At first, my presence in my photos was fascinating and disturbing. But as time passed and I was more a part of other ideas in my photos, I was able to add a giggle to those feelings.” Here readers can witness this progression as Friedlander appears in the form of his shadow, or reflected in windows and mirrors, and only occasionally fully visible through his own camera. In some photos he visibly struggles with the notion of self-portraiture, desultorily shooting himself in household mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Soon, though, he begins to toy with the pictures, almost teasingly inserting his shadow into them to amusing and provocative effect--elongated and trailing a group of women seen only from the knees down; cast and bent over a chair as if seated in it; mirroring the silhouette of someone walking down the street ahead of him; or falling on the desert ground, a large bush standing in for hair. These uncanny self-portraits evoke a surprisingly full landscape of the artist's life and mind. This reprint edition of Lee Friedlander: Self Portrait contains nearly 50 duotone images and an afterword by John Szarkowski, former Director of the Department of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art.… (mehr)

FOUR BOOK SET
TBW Books Series No. 5 gathers four iconic American photographers to offer four bodies of never before seen work in a powerful quartet of books. Edition of 1000 - 8.75 x 11" - 4 Clothbound hardcovers with dust jackets
BOOK 1 Mike Mandel - Boardwalk Minus Forty Made while studying at the San Francisco Art Institute, Boardwalk was one of Mandel's first serious forays into what he jokingly refers to as "real photographs." Known for his conceptual work, most notably Evidence, created with Larry Sultan, one of photography's seminal works, Boardwalk is a rare look back at the foundation Mandel was building all along.
BOOK 2 Susan Meiselas - Prince Street Girls Shot during the late 1970s in New York's Lower East Side, Meiselas developed a lasting bond with a group of 11 neighborhood girls, collectively known as the Prince Street Girls. The book is an intimate and sprawling view of the girls’ formative years in an ever-changing city.
BOOK 3 Bill Burke - They Shall Take Up Serpents Continuing his tradition of examining niche American cultures, Serpents explores the surreal and consuming world of coal miners doubling as religious snake handlers by the work-week's end. Through a variety of camera formats, Burke strings together images that alone might seem out of place but together weave the storytelling the artist has become known for.
BOOK 4 Lee Friedlander - Head Spanning 50 years of work, Friedlander assembles a collection of images that crystallizes one of his signature shooting motifs. Oscillating in tone from serious to humorous with a fluidity that belies the seemingly disparate images, Friedlander reminds viewers of his skill as both photographer and master of the book medium. Head is a fascinating glimpse into the approach of one of the world's most enigmatic living artists.… (mehr)