On Photographs

(Hardback)

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Description

Gain a new perspective on photography in this personally guided introduction to photographic images and what they mean by one of the leading writers and curators of our time

On Photographs is destined to become an instant classic of photography writing. Rejecting the conventions of chronology and the heightened status afforded to 'classics' in traditional accounts of the history of the medium, Campany's selection of photographs is an expertly curated and personal one - mixing fine art prints, film stills, documentary photographs, fashion editorials and advertisements. In this playful new take on the history of photography, anonymous photographers stand alongside photography pioneers, 20th-century talents and contemporary practitioners. Each photograph is accompanied by Campany's highly readable commentary. Putting the sacred status of authorship to one side, he strives to guide the reader in their own interpretation and understanding of the image itself. In a visual culture in which we have become accustomed to not looking, Campany helps us see, in what is both an accessible introduction for newcomers and a must-have for photography aficionados.

Reviews

'[Campany] argues that, through close analysis of individual images, the meaning of a photograph is shifting and always open to reinterpretation' - The Royal Photographic Society Journal
'An intelligent and thought-provoking inquiry that unpicks the unspoken assumptions of the photography' - Best Art Books of 2020, Sunday Times

Author Bio

David Campany is a curator, writer and educator, based in London. His previous books include Walker Evans: The Magazine Work, The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip and A Handful of Dust, each of which was accompanied by an exhibition. Awards received by Campany include the ICP Infinity Award and The Kraszna-Kraus Book Award.