Alex Webb: Istanbul (Hardcover)

~ Orhan Pamuk (Author), (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In Istanbul: City of a Hundred Names, Magnum photographer Alex Webb displays his particular ability to distill gesture, color and contrasting cultural tensions into a single, beguiling frame. He presents a vision of Istanbul as an urban cultural center, rich with the incandescence of its past--a city of minarets and pigeons rising to the heavens during the early-morning call to Muslim prayers--yet also a city riddled with ATM machines and clothed in designer jeans. Webb began photographing Istanbul in 1998, and became instantly enthralled: by the people, the layers of culture and history, the richness of street life. But what particularly drew him in was a sense of Istanbul as a border city, lying between Europe and Asia. "For 30-some years as a photographer, I have been intrigued by borders, places where cultures come together, sometimes easily, sometimes roughly." The resulting body of work, some of Webb's strongest to date, conveys the frisson of a culture in transition, yet firmly rooted in a complex history. With essay by the Nobel Prize winning novelist, Orhan Pamuk.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Aperture; illustrated edition edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597110345
• ISBN-13: 978-1597110341
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #177,569 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Perplexing- Didn't meet my high hopes., August 16, 2007

By	Patrick D. Love (Kirkland, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've tried, I've really tried, but I just can't bring myself to like this book. I get what he's trying to do here, but it doesn't stir any emotion in me. My friend, who studied under Minor White and lives in Istanbul, also said that it does not show anything unique about Istanbul, but that he makes it look like any other city.
I'm a photographer and Istanbul is one of my favorite destinations to shoot street photography. Perhaps my idea of Istanbul is much too different. What I would really like to see is an updated version of Ara Guler's book titled Istanbul. He's also a Magnum photographer, and he did a very good job probably about 30 years or more ago.
Also the Orhan Pamuk essay was just taken from Orhan's book Istanbul. Nothing new there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Great Street Photography Books, July 19, 2007

By	Frizzante - See all my reviews

I visited Istanbul in 1988, almost 20 years ago. It was a visit that left me in awe of the uniqueness, beauty and complexity of this historic and important city. It is a great pleasure to have revisited Istanbul, this time not actually, but through exceptional photographs of Alex Webb.

The photographs are not only evocative of the real life of the streets, but are depictions of people going about the daily lives with very little awareness of their being photographed. Alex Webb's level of skill in composition and timing is of the highest order. His ability to work unnoticed is incredible.

The photographs are followed by a most thought provoking essay by Nobel Laureat and Istanbul resident Orhan Pamuk. I found the text so interesting that I have ordered his book on Istanbul as well.

Be aware that Alex Webb's photos have remarkable visual richness, with multiple layers of foreground and background. The possess great vibrancy of colour, honestly caught human expression and a busy city's sense of action and movement. I would recommend spending some time on each photo to draw out the vast offering of information and emotion within each one.

Well worth the purchase; particularly if you have visited Istanbul, or long to go there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars familiar faces and corners..., May 28, 2007

By	Bahadir Kargili - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alex Webb has done a great job for sure.As an ameteur photographer living in Istanbul for all my life ,I enjoyed the photos so much that i gave myself permission to see maximum 3 photos per day.here's why;
I found lots of familiar sights with different tastes.So different that i see almost everyday of my life. I think Mr.Webb's success in this book is based on his experince on his photograpy skills, his full understanding of a nation, its values( such as the flag's importance for us, Ataturk-the founder of our republic), religion (the scarf and people), history, architecture, sociology and culture.
The photos are being shot in a wide range of time during Mr.Webbs's visits to Turkey.On the other hand ;
To be honest Mr.Pamuks(2007 literature nobel prize winner) essays are unlucky to be in this book just because the phots tell everything that no words are necessary to fill in the blanks.
As i mentioned in my review that the book has so familiar daily sights from my life that,i've found a woman i knew in one of his photos ,shot at 2001 while she was waiting a bus in the bus stop.She was really surprised to be in this book as she didnt feel anyone shooting eventhough she remembers the day so clear that day.Mr.Webb found the real light of Istanbul and that day it was 07:00 in the morning.We decided together that we ll ask for a signed copy from Mr.Webb by a letter or email.
Thank you Mr.Webb for these magnificent shots and for pushing me to go out and shoot again in the city i belong.