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| American Photographs. Photographs by Walker Evans. Published by The Museum of Modern Art, 2012.  |
American Photographs
Reviewed by Alexandra Huddleston
Photographs by Walker Evans
The Museum of Modern Art, 2012. Hardbound. 208 pp., 87 duotone illustrations, 7-3/4x8-3/4".
The 2012 Seventy-Fifth-Anniversary edition of American Photographs closely follows the 1938 first edition, from its cover, size, and paper to the photographic edit, print tone, and text. The book is a testament to the benefits of fine craftsmanship – just as was the original – and the MOMA has the money to devote to quality while still pricing the book low enough so that a younger generation of photography lovers can afford the luxury. The book's weight and size make it a pleasure to hold. The paper makes it fun to touch, and the print quality leads even long-time Walker Evans fans to notice new details in photographs that have long been old favorites. Did the street in part 1, plate 27 ever look quite as much like a gently flowing river? Did I ever notice the chalk scrawl "come up and see me sometime" in part 1, plate 1; or the cleanliness and freshness of the newspapers and towels in part 1, plate 6; or the girl spreading her dress as for a bow in part 1, plate 35?
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| American Photographs, by Walker Evans. Published by The Museum of Modern Art, 2012. |
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| American Photographs, by Walker Evans. Published by The Museum of Modern Art, 2012. |
We seem to be going through an era, again, in which the snap-shot aesthetic has gathered a dominant following in the photography world. If you doubt my 'again,' just read Kirstein's essay. This never-ending stream of imagery is easily accessible on multiplying websites from Instagram to Flikr and in a rapidly proliferating number of photography books whose overarching message seems to be a tenuous 'this is the way I see my world.'
What makes American Photographs any different? The title itself is about as vague as one can get while still remaining in the country… and it's actually a lie since some of the photographs were taken in Cuba and few were taken west of the Mississippi! Moreover, while each individual photograph is composed with a literary tightness, as a collective they couldn't be more different: we see different types of film used, different cameras, different crops, different page placements, and an eclectic array of different subjects. In truth, the book is as lop-sided a view of America as the photo studio storefront in part 1, plate 2. After all these years, it should be pretty clear that in over 210 mini-prints posted in the glass, no noticeably African-American faces appear in that collective portrait of Savannah, Georgia.
What makes American Photographs any different? The title itself is about as vague as one can get while still remaining in the country… and it's actually a lie since some of the photographs were taken in Cuba and few were taken west of the Mississippi! Moreover, while each individual photograph is composed with a literary tightness, as a collective they couldn't be more different: we see different types of film used, different cameras, different crops, different page placements, and an eclectic array of different subjects. In truth, the book is as lop-sided a view of America as the photo studio storefront in part 1, plate 2. After all these years, it should be pretty clear that in over 210 mini-prints posted in the glass, no noticeably African-American faces appear in that collective portrait of Savannah, Georgia.
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| American Photographs, by Walker Evans. Published by The Museum of Modern Art, 2012. |
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| American Photographs, by Walker Evans. Published by The Museum of Modern Art, 2012. |
Why, then, does the book feel so specific, so unified, and so structured despite what is arguably a weak conceptual framework? A careful viewer will begin to realize that Evans organized the book's photographic edit with the same rigor as he did his compositions. The formal visual structure of part 2 is educational. Plates 2 through 5 are dominated by horizontal lines. Plates 6 through 11 all have strong vertical forms. The compositions in plates 12 through 25 contain powerful rectangles, and plates 26 through 37 are structured around arches. A similar breakdown can be done of part 1 based on the photographs' literal and emotional content. Moreover, there are countless smaller motifs bringing the disparate scenes together. In part 1, plate 40, the placement of the men's arms is a direct link to the placement of the couple's arms in the subsequent photograph, both of which encourage the viewer to notice the arms and hands in plates 42, 44, and 45.
Perhaps it's true that there is no more unifying concept to this book other than 'this is the way Walker Evans saw his world.' However, this newest edition of American Photographs reminds us that Evans' vision has managed to capture and keep our wayward attention because of its solid foundation in fine craftsmanship, rigorous structure, and deep thinking.—ALEXANDRA HUDDLESTON
purchase book
Perhaps it's true that there is no more unifying concept to this book other than 'this is the way Walker Evans saw his world.' However, this newest edition of American Photographs reminds us that Evans' vision has managed to capture and keep our wayward attention because of its solid foundation in fine craftsmanship, rigorous structure, and deep thinking.—ALEXANDRA HUDDLESTON
purchase book