Book of the Week: A Pick by Forrest Soper

Book of the Week Book of the Week: A Pick by Forrest Soper Forrest Soper selects 3DPRK by Matjaž Tančič as Book of the Week.

3DPRK. By Matjaž Tančič. Jiazazhi Press, 2016.

Forrest Soper selects 3DPRK by Matjaž Tančič from Jiazazhi Press as Book of the Week.

"As soon as I opened a copy of 3DPRK by Matjaž Tančič, I instantly fell in love with it. Housed in a wonderfully designed custom box, this spectacular new publication from Jiazazhi Press showcases the recent three-dimensional photographs that Tančič shot inside North Korea. With 5 lenticular images, 64 stereoscopic cards, a plastic stereoscope viewer, and an informative pamphlet, this book has plenty to offer.

Working with Koryo Studio, and accompanied by two North Korean guides and a driver, Tančič photographed the people of North Korea. Not interested in creating a politically charged body of work, Tančič attempted to photograph individuals from all walks of life in an honest and impartial manner. He attempted to capture the broadest spectrum of North Korean life, from military officials in the Demilitarized Zone to a repairman working at a fertilizer factory. The photographs are highly staged and posed, and Tančič makes no attempt to hide this from the viewer.

The photographs in 3DPRK are not candid snapshots. Due to the limitations of the 3D photographic medium, and restrictions from the North Korean Government, Tančič was only allowed to photograph certain individuals in certain locations in a certain fashion. Because of this, people may argue on whether this body of work is an anthropological survey that would make Sander or Curtis proud, or if it is simply a piece of ingeniously crafted propaganda. Regardless, this book has merit as a photobook and is certainly one that will be mentioned by historians.

I have always been in love with stereoscopic images, but unfortunately, there are few contemporary artists working in this medium that have captivated me as much as Tančič has in this publication. The images are so formalistic and controlled that they instantly remind me of the historical stereoscopic images I used to look at as a child. With that being said, these images are far from being dull or unimaginative — there is not a single image in this book that I did not engage with. 3DPRK is sure to captivate anyone who takes the time to read through it." —Forrest Soper

Purchase Book

3DPRK. By Matjaž Tančič. Jiazazhi Press, 2016.

3DPRK. By Matjaž Tančič. Jiazazhi Press, 2016.

Forrest Soper is a photographer and artist based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A graduate of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, he also has previously worked at Bostick & Sullivan. Forrest is the Editor of photo-eye Blog.
http://forrestsoper.com/