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Antone's Picks: Michael P. Berman's Trinity


copyright: Michael P. Bearman

Guggenheim Fellow Michael P. Berman has been navigating in between the Mexico/United States border for many years. His body of work created while wandering through the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts is enormous and intense. It is a powerful portrayal of the importance contemporary Western landscape photography still holds.

Trinity is Berman's third installment showcasing this work and his second monograph accompanied with the brilliant words of Charles Bowden. If unfamiliar with Bowden's writing, think of a contemporary Edward Abbey laced with intelligence and a savage sense of humor. Both the story and photographs could stand alone on their own, but these guys make for one dynamic team.


copyright: Michael P. Berman

I had the opportunity to hear Berman speak about his work several years ago in a lecture series sponsored by the New Mexico History Museum. His words stuck with me for some time... often heady and laced with theory, I visualized this photographer wandering through this barren landscape alone, thinking about the impact and hold this borderland has on the US politics and social values. Why is this region where few have visited hold such great importance to so many? It's an open-ended question, but the images and words in this volume certainly stir the pot.


Copyright: Michael P. Berman

On top of the importance this region and Berman's work hold, comes the simple fact that this land is beautiful, desolate and unforgiving. The plates in this monograph are printed so finely that they could be framed, but do in no way outshine Berman's work in person... it's simply fantastic! Anyone interested in the western landscape should definitely take notice of the importance of this work.

View all of Michael P. Berman's monographs by clicking here.