Articles

The Phaidon 55 series, launched around 2000, is a collection of pocket-sized monographs dedicated to individual photographers. Each volume presents 55 images accompanied by brief commentary and an introductory essay. Designed to be affordable and portable, the series aims to provide accessible introductions to key photographers' work, encouraging collection like Penguin Classics in literature. The books feature uniform design but vary in image selection and commentary style, with contributions by curators, critics, and photographers. Though the original paperbacks were valued for their usability, a later hardback edition raised prices, making them less accessible. The series remains influential for visual education and photographic writing. Read Article

The Phaidon 55 series offers pocket-sized photographic books featuring 55 shots by renowned photographers, priced affordably at £4.95 each. The series includes works by the likes of Shomei Tomatsu, Boris Mikhailov, and W Eugene Smith, accompanied by detailed captions and insightful essays. The books emphasize the evocative power of black and white photography, as seen in Tomatsu's stunning ocean imagery. Mikhailov's works depict the bleak reality of the former Soviet Union, while Smith's portfolio showcases a blend of journalistic and artistic excellence. This collection represents excellent value and contributes significantly to photographic publishing. Read Article

Deana Lawson: An Aperture Monograph showcases the work of Deana Lawson, a photographer focused on black expressive culture and the African Diaspora. Over the past decade, Lawson has developed a distinct visual language through large-format portraiture and social documentary-style images, depicting black identities with deliberate, theatrical scenes rich in fine details and vibrant colors. The book features forty-five photographs and includes an extensive interview with filmmaker Arthur Jafa. Contributions include an introductory essay by Zadie Smith, exploring Lawson's themes and artistic influences. Read Article

The exhibition of Deana Lawson at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art features eight rooms filled with her evocative photographic portraits spanning over 20 years. Lawson’s work deeply explores themes of Black identity, family intimacy, and the complexities of personal and social history. The images invite viewers to create their own narratives, often juxtaposing freedom and captivity, reality and mythology. The show’s design, from red carpeting to strategically placed crystals, creates an immersive environment that isolates the art from the outside world, encouraging close engagement. The presence of music and video enhances the emotional impact in later galleries. Read Article

Deana Lawson's new monograph, published by Mack, compiles 15 years of her photography that offers nuanced, celebratory portrayals of Black life. Blending family photos, portraits, collage, and photojournalism, her work explores themes of mythology, sexuality, religion, and dreams, aiming to move beyond reductive popular depictions of Black people. Lawson carefully stages intimate moments to reveal the beauty and multiplicity of Black identity, focusing on everyday experiences filled with joy, love, and complexity. Her images challenge monolithic narratives and affirm Black life as shaped by community and history. Read Article

Deana Lawson's photographic work focuses on the everyday lives of low-income Black families, captured through staged, intimate portraits set in detailed domestic environments. Her 2018 monograph published by Aperture features large-scale images that blend mythic and mundane elements, often highlighting personal artifacts such as family photographs and distinctive curtains. Lawson's portraits challenge conventional representations by presenting Black subjects with dignity and depth, exploring themes of family, identity, and socioeconomic realities. The monograph includes an insightful essay by Zadie Smith that discusses Lawson's evocative narratives and visual storytelling. Read Article

The Ruhr Museum in Essen presents its own extensive photo collection in an exhibition titled "From A to Z. Photography at the Ruhr Museum," running from October 1, 2012, to April 14, 2013, at Zeche Zollverein. The exhibition features a wide range of photographs documenting social history, industrial heritage, and everyday life in the Ruhr region and beyond, including works by renowned photographers such as Ruth Hallensleben and Bernd and Hilla Becher. It is the second part of a series aimed at making the museum's collections accessible until 2017. The photo archive holds around three million images, with one million digitized. Read Article

This project is a collaboration between Maira Kalman, bestselling author Daniel Handler (known as Lemony Snicket), and The Museum of Modern Art. It features photographs from MoMA's collection, paintings by Kalman inspired by those photos, and lyrical prose written by Handler. The work uniquely blends visual art and literature, exploring the theme of girls standing on lawns through multiple artistic lenses. Read Article

Girls Standing on Lawns by Daniel Handler and illustrated by Maira Kalman is a unique art book blending vintage photographs of girls on lawns with imaginative illustrations. The book offers a nostalgic yet fresh perspective, appealing to both children and adults. It features poignant text that evokes reflection, accompanied by bold, colorful artwork contrasting the muted old photos. The collection invites readers to reminisce and reflect on the passage of time, making it a meaningful gift and a beautiful piece of art. Read Article

Girls Standing on Lawns is a unique collaboration between artist Maira Kalman, writer Daniel Handler, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The project was inspired by a collection of vintage photographs titled “girls standing on lawns” from MoMA’s archives. Handler wrote haiku-like texts in response to the photos, while Kalman created watercolor paintings based on them. The collaboration explores themes of childhood, family, social norms, womanhood, and belonging, transforming everyday snapshots into poetic and imaginative art. Read Article

"The Disorders of the Library" is a program from France Culture's podcast Pas la peine de crier, featuring Muriel Pic and Christian Prigent. The discussion centers on the concept of disorder within libraries, explored through photography that captures bookshelves and their contents in unusual, revealing ways. The conversation touches on the historical emergence of photography in the 19th century with Daguerre and Talbot, and how photography can unveil a visual unconscious within library spaces. Muriel Pic authored the book with photographs while Christian Prigent contributed the preface. Read Article

LaToya Ruby Frazier’s first book, The Notion of Family, presents a powerful photo journal and narrative documenting her family’s struggles with disease and poverty in Braddock, a declining steel town. Through stark photographs and descriptive texts, she reveals the harsh realities shaped by environmental and social decay, chronicling multiple generations of women in her family. The work is both a deeply personal account and a socio-historical documentary that connects intimate family life with broader issues of gender, class, race, and industrial decline. The book also includes context essays that situate her story within Braddock’s history and the tradition of photography. Read Article