Articles

Barbara Cole’s monograph Between Worlds showcases her three decades of exploration into the fluid aesthetics of water through photography. Using polaroid, film, and waterproof cameras, Cole captures underwater portraits that blur the lines between portraiture and underwater imagery. Her work emphasizes the poetic symbolism of water, femininity, and mythology, drawing connections to female gods and water-born legends like mermaids and Mazu. The photographs reveal a unique interplay between light, form, and water’s unpredictable nature, inviting a passive creative process that highlights water’s transformative qualities. Read Article

Loli Kantor’s photobook Call Me Lola is a poignant exploration of loss and memory, focusing on the search for her mother, who died shortly after Kantor's birth. Blending photography, memoir, and archival investigation, the book interlaces historic documents, family photographs, and contemporary images taken across Europe and Israel. The volume not only highlights the traces left by her mother but also reflects on absence through nuanced visual strategies. Augmented by an essay and an interview, it presents a deeply personal and haunting journey into identity and remembrance connected to Holocaust history. Read Article

Dwight Garner’s New York Times review calls Julia Van Haaften’s biography, Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography, a "vital work of American cultural history" that chronicles the artist’s evolution from bohemian sculptor to pioneering modernist. The biography highlights Abbott's independent spirit and her work in documenting New York City's architectural shifts, though the review notes the narrative occasionally becomes bogged down in excessive detail. Read Article

Hector Acebes, at age 82, has recently gained recognition for his black-and-white photographs of Africa taken between 1948 and 1953. These images, mostly from small villages in Western and Northern Africa, capture a time when tribal life and traditional religions dominated daily existence. His photos highlight intricate cultural details such as scar patterning, tattoos, and jewelry, reflecting deep relationships with his subjects. The exhibition and forthcoming book in Seattle showcase his keen eye for African aesthetics and the human expressions that define identity and culture in a bygone era. Read Article

Candida Höfer’s book, Libraries, is a photographic exploration of library interiors worldwide, showcasing their architectural and cultural diversity. The images focus on the core spaces of libraries—halls, shelves, reading areas, and computer terminals—often excluding people to emphasize structural design. Höfer uses large format color photography to capture details ranging from grand, ornate spaces to the intimate, worn bindings of books. The work reflects on libraries as repositories of knowledge and cultural identity, highlighting their evolving role in the digital age. An essay by Umberto Eco provides an insightful introduction to the book’s themes. Read Article

Candida Höfer's exhibition at Sean Kelly Gallery, titled "Candida Höfer – In Mexico," features her large-format, geometric photographs of Mexican architecture and interiors. The works focus on themes spanning indigenous culture, the Catholic Church, political independence struggles, and modernism. Höfer's precise images capture sites like the 17th-century Iglesia de Santa Maria Tonantzintla and the Hospicio Cabañas, highlighting their historical and sociopolitical significance. The exhibition also explores the installation context of the photos, presenting multiple views of the same locations to create dynamic spatial relationships. Read Article

Candida Höfer’s exhibition “In Mexico” at Sean Kelly Gallery features 26 color photographs taken in 2015, depicting Mexico’s ornate architectural interiors including theaters, churches, and museums. The works range in size and are printed as c-prints with editions of six plus artist proofs. Alongside the photographs, two HD slide projections from 2016 present additional imagery featuring textures and architectural geometries. Höfer’s characteristic style of people-free, detailed, and exacting compositions is evident, yet some images use optical flattening and closer focuses to explore new perspectives within her established aesthetic. A monograph with 65 color images was published in 2016 by Distanz. Read Article

Award-winning photographer Chester Higgins' book Sacred Nile offers a profound visual journey through the spiritual heritage of the Nile Valley. The collection showcases sacred sites and rituals from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, highlighting the ancient roots of major world religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Through meticulously captured images, Higgins documents centuries-old religious practices and the bond between the African landscape and faith. The book also challenges Eurocentric narratives by emphasizing black contributions to ancient civilizations and religious traditions. Read Article

This review presents an in-depth discussion of Chester Higgins' 2021 photobook, Sacred Nile, which explores the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Nile region through stunning photography and rich texts. The book is a visual record of faith documenting African and African-American spiritual histories, ancient rituals, sacred art, and the landscape. Higgins’ work is praised for reclaiming Africa’s intellectual and spiritual sovereignty, presenting an extensive study of the religious connections between ancient Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. The review emphasizes the book’s scholarly endorsements and its challenge to mainstream perspectives on African civilizations. Read Article

Herb Boyd reviews three noteworthy books: "Sacred Nile" by Chester Higgins and Betsy Kissam, a stunning exploration of ancient African civilizations through photography and text; "Sometimes Farmgirls Become Revolutionaries" by Florence L. Tate and Jake-Ann Jones, an autobiographical account of Tate's activism and struggles during the civil rights era; and "Philip Payton—The Father of Black Harlem" by Kevin McGruder, which highlights Payton's pivotal role in Harlem's development and Black real estate history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read Article

Published in 2024 by Kehrer Verlag, Lisa McCord's monograph "Rotan Switch" is a 204-page cloth hardcover featuring 25 color and 55 tritone photographs. The work documents the Rotan farm in Arkansas, tracing McCord's family history and the Black farmworkers who lived and worked there from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The book combines personal memoir with social history, revealing the complex power dynamics within a rural Southern community. Accompanied by essays and designed by Caleb Cain Marcus, the photobook presents candid and tender portraits while acknowledging the photographer's own privilege and family’s role in local social and economic structures. Read Article

Lisa McCord’s photobook "Rotan Switch" offers an immersive experience combining content, design, and emotion. The unique layout mimics a conversation, inviting readers into the life on her grandparents’ cotton farm in Rotan, Arkansas. Its unconventional structure uses large text blocks and interspersed images to tell a deeply personal story reflecting family life, labor, and racial dynamics in the Arkansas Delta. McCord’s photographs include both her own and found images, capturing moments of joy, struggle, and community in vivid detail. The book’s innovative design and compelling narrative create a dynamic dialogue between the author and reader. Read Article