From the publisher: Photographer Paul Graham spent two years completing this documentary on the life and landscape of the Great North Road. Throughout 1981 and 1982 he made numerous trips along the A1, crossing and recrossing the length of the nation to record every aspect of life at the verge of this great road. The photographs reproduced in this book build not only into a significant documentary of the A1, but also provide a thread along which we can travel the Great North Road, deep into the nation’s heart, and weave a picture of England in the 1980s.
The last few spaces are still available for our meetup in Newcastle 17th May, the meetup is held in conjunction with the North East Photo Network held at the North of England Mining Institute. It should be a cracking night of books and refreshments – just bring a photobook along with you that you would like to share.
Photobook Club Meetup New York IMAGE MATHIEU ASSELIN
If you’re in New York and want to attend the next meetup, head over to the ‘Photobooks’ group in Facebook where announcements will be made. And for those in attendance/absent, here are a couple more images to reminisce over/make you jealous;
Ken Schles talks about his latest monograph 'Oculus' IMAGE MATHIEU ASSELINCopies of the Photobook Review #2 IMAGE MATHIEU ASSELINKen Schles and other photobook lovers in attendance IMAGE MATHIEU ASSELIN
Another awesome month on the Photo Book Club thanks to those who contributed and shared their own thoughts on Sally Mann’s ‘Immediate Family’. I really enjoyed taking the time to get re-aquanted with this book, and found new themes and new images that resonated more than before.
Stay tuned for the next lineup of books we will be looking at, but during April I will be working on a couple other PBC projects as well as the meetup I will be holding in Newcastle, UK.
I am especially envious of this meetup as Ken Schles will be joining the group to talk about his fantastic new book ‘Oculus‘. More information can be found via the invitation shown below. RSVP to photo.olia@gmail.com
This May I will be heading up to Newcastle to hold a Photo Book Club Meetup in conjunction with the North East Photo Network held at the North of England Mining Institute. It should be a cracking night of books and refreshments – just bring a photobook along with you that you would like to share.
Unfortunately, spaces are limited so to reserve a place, email me: matt@photobookclub.org
My thanks to Elinor for offering these words on ‘Immediate Family’:
I saw ‘Immediate family’ when I was a student in Jerusalem and I was immediately drawn to this body of work. The images were so beautiful, magical, intense and complex…and even dark at times, as childhood can often be. This landscape was like nothing I have seen before, being born and raised in Israel.
I love Sally Mann’s work, she is a brave and original artist.
A big thanks to Australian photographer Hilary Wardhaugh for offering her own personal reflection on Sally Mann’s intimate practice and her family relationships. You can see Hilary’s website here or follow her on twitter here.
(The video Hilary refers to in this reflection can be seen at the bottom of the post)
“I have always loved her art and more so since being a mum.
I’m not photographic art critic and my words here are from the heart, only.
In a way I am torn about how I felt watching the film and Sally Mann’s unwavering vision, her dedication and the fact that she is seemingly consumed by photography. I would love the ability to be that focussed and am envious that she has a husband and family that are so supportive of her ‘work’ even though her work or art has always involved them.
I feel for the children, too. When I am consumed with my photography I would love to follow that train of thought or action to completion but I cannot because of family demands. Im not saying that Mann’s actions are selfish but I feel that she is fortunate to have the unerring support of her family. I’m guessing that her work supports them very well and so they appreciate that if she may be at times emotionally unavailable when working they appreciate that what she does pays the bills.
I don’t think that her being so consumed doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love her kids. She is an artist and to work efficiently she needs to be in the right head space to work, though at times it is a the expense of family time. I met Trente Parke in 2003 and he was at that time very similar, saying that almost his every thought was of photography and he is an amazingly talented and successful photographer, too. In think it goes with the territory.
I did note that her son spoke about ‘Sally Mann’ not ‘mum’, but what to make of that I cannot answer.
Some people may see as what she has done as exploitative but I don’t. As a mum to a young boy I am fortunate of our close relationship that he allows me in and doesn’t mind being the object of my focus. To me their lives growing up being part of their mother’s vision was amazing. They were willing participants and I love the fact that many of the images they appear naked. Some of their portraits are so direct and raw, something only maybe possible if it’s your mother photographing you.
However, I feel it’s always good to question any portrait and look deeper. Some of the childrens’ looks in their portraits could be deemed as affected. Or was it that they had got to the point after numerous ‘takes’ that they were actually past that point where they were fully consenting. Who knows?
Mann’s images, art and consuming passion for photography make her an icon of our time and we need to thank her family for that, too.”
One of the things I love about photobooks is that they can stay on your shelf and change over time so much so, that two readings of the same book can cause completely different reactions.
Lately I have found myself drawn back to books that work with the physical, natural landscape, a few of my favourites at the moment being Paula McCartney’s ‘Bird Watching‘ and Bernard Fuchs’ ‘Roads and Paths‘.
And so perhaps it is no surprise that in picking up ‘Immediate Family’ again for this month, one of the themes that resonated unlike before was the physical landscape and serene beauty of this idyllic setting. As a town-dwelling citizen I see (naively) only the ideals of this rural setting, the simple pleasure of collecting yard eggs and resting by the water.
Mann’s images really bring home this idea of living alongside the landscape when we see Jessie’s wild hair tangled up and becoming part of the foliage she stands in front of. Or where Emmet stands tall in the black water, only creating the slightest of alteration to the flow. This Virgina idyll also puts me in mind of Henry David Thoreau’s ‘Walden’ from which I have lifted a few quotes alongside Mann’s images.
– Matt
“In my afternoon walk I would fain forget all my morning occupations and my obligations to society.“
“As I sit at my window this summer afternoon, hawks are circling about my clearing; the tantivy of wild pigeons, flying by twos and threes athwart my view, or perching restless on the white-pine boughs behind my house, gives a voice to the air…”
“Now that the cars are gone by and all the restless world with them, and the fishes in the pond no longer feel their rumbling, I am more alone than ever. For the rest of the afternoon, perhaps, my meditations are interrupted only by the faint rattle of a carriage or team along the distant highway.”
“While I enjoy the friendship of the seasons I trust that nothing can make life a burden to me. The gentle rain which waters my beans and keeps me in the house today is not drear and melancholy, but good for me too.”
“On land only the grass and trees wave, but the water itself is rippled by the wind. I see where the breeze dashes accros it by the streaks or flakes of light. It is remarkable that we can look down on its surface. We shall, perhaps, look down thus on the surface of air at length, and mark where a still subtler spirit sweeps over it.”
As I mentioned in our first ‘food for thought’ post, this second version looks a little more at ‘Immediate Family’ than Mann’s other works and publications.
Firstly, as this book is easily available at a good price in a re-edition, I will be not be creating a video for the book in it’s entirety. And so you can either look to purchase the book here (or here for US), or look at what Mann features on her own website. It is by no means a substitute for the book but it does give a taste for the work and as often as possible I will feature other images also.
3. The Smithsonian magazine writes about Mann’s images of her family here.
4. And… even though it was featured in the earlier posts, it is most certainly a must watch in relation to this specific book: This video offers a great insight int Mann’s mind, and process as well as hearing from her children about their mothers image making and use of them as subjects.
