Big Bend Pictures [Hardcover]

James Evans (Author), Robert Draper (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bill and Alice Wright Photography Series | Publication Date: April 1, 2003

It takes a long time to get to know the Big Bend. Just to look at all the mountains and canyons and desert horizons can take weeks of driving and hiking. And to get acquainted with the independent, self-contained, slightly quirky people who call this place home . . . well, that can take a lifetime. James Evans understands that. Recalling his decision to make the Big Bend his artistic muse and photographic subject, he says, "I moved here in 1988 to dedicate my life to the Big Bend and its people. I don't shoot pictures and leave and make a book. This work is a slow accumulation of years of being here. The mountains are familiar friends and the people my heroes. I am one of them." In this book, James Evans records the landscapes and the people of the Big Bend in all their beauty, harshness, and character. Images such as "South Rim with Agave," "Eyes of the Chisos," and "The Road to Candelaria" capture the distances, openness, and rough loveliness that draw people to this remote part of the Texas-Mexico border. Evans's photographs of people--legendary ranchwoman Hallie Stillwell, Kickapoo girls at a ceremonial dance, national park superintendent Ross Maxwell, school boys in Boquillas, Mexico, to mention only a few--show a deeply felt, but anti-sentimental understanding of his Big Bend neighbors. Other images, such as "Snake and Jesus," "Drug Blimp," and "Rope-O-Matic" reveal the whimsical, offbeat sensibility that sets Evans apart from others who have photographed the Big Bend. Also included are equally distinctive "Notes and Stories," in which Evans talks about how he came to photograph each particular person and each place and what they mean to him. Robert Draper's foreword pinpoints why Evans's work has such irresistible appeal. In his words, "The photographs of James Evans celebrate the unburnished beauty of Big Bend country as a way of celebrating the free spirit. I see no way out of voicing the cliché: this is a deeply life-affirming collection."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Resisting the temptation of melon-hued sunsets, Evans works with documentary-style black-and-white photography. The landscapes he captures are not simply blase, wide-angle homages to the hallowed frontier: they reveal Big Bend's quirks and bemused attitudes, suggesting the hitherto blasphemous - namely, that the American West can have a sense of humor, and at times be downright weird. Above all, Evans is exposing beauty from its proper angles. To see Big Bend through his eyes is to gaze upon an altogether alien world, and in so doing, to feel our innocence reawaken." Robert Draper

Review

Resisting the temptation of melon-hued sunsets, Evans works with documentary-style black-and-white photography. The landscapes he captures are not simply blasé, wide-angle homages to the hallowed frontier: they reveal Big Bend's quirks and bemused attitudes, suggesting the hitherto blasphemous--namely, that the American West can have a sense of humor, and at times be downright weird. Above all, Evans is exposing beauty from its proper angles. To see Big Bend through his eyes is to gaze upon an altogether alien world, and in so doing, to feel our innocence reawaken. (Robert Draper )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292720963
• ISBN-13: 978-0292720961
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 12.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Bend Pictures, May 5, 2003

By 

G. Fowler (Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big Bend Pictures (Hardcover)

The Big Bend area of West Texas is both seductive and elusive to visitors. The immense scale, loneliness and beauty of the desert scenery can immediately charm any visitor to this remote borderland, and many books have succeeded in extolling these virtues. However, the human denizens of the Big Bend can be quirky lot, with a big dose of individuality an apparent requirement for remaining in these parts for very long.
In this new large-format book, James Evans has succeeded admirably in capturing for the viewer the essence of the human dimension of this vast land. Yes there are panoramas and thunderstorms on these pages, but it's the direct and intimate portraits of the people that will capture your attention. Elderly ranchers (and ranch women), young children, Anglos, Hispanics, funerals, dances, homes, animals - all powerful and direct visual statements. Many of these scenes aren't pretty. There's grit and violence, poverty, sadness; but it's all real. Evans has spent the past 15 years living in the Big Bend (he has a studio and gallery in tiny Marathon, TX), taking time to really know his subjects, gaining their trust, opening a window of truth before his lens. As a regular visitor to these parts, I feel Evans has finally captured the real essence of this amazing region for all of us Big Bend lovers to enjoy.
There are 102 duotone photographs, most are full or double page. A real bonus is James' comments about each photograph in the rear appendix. It is there we come to understand a little more about each of his subjects, and ultimately a bit about Evans as well. And good value, too; lots of book here for the quite reasonable price. And I like the horned lizard endpapers.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars let the images speak for themselves, July 29, 2003

By 

R. Couger "philosopher for hire" (east west nowhere, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big Bend Pictures (Hardcover)

The review by Mr. Fowler pretty much sums up the book. For me there isn't anyone who can capture images of Big Bend quite like James Evans. I have long been a fan of his work and have waited for this book for many years. For those who have never been to the Big Bend region this book offers a chance to be introduced to what makes it so special. It isn't just the landscapes, it is the people. Big Bend Pictures communicates to me what makes west Texas so special. To stare into these pictures allows me to travel back to the region and experience again the heat, the dry air, the clouds(good lord the clouds, just look at how he captures the clouds) and the people. Gaze into the eyes of his subjects and know what it means to live life. Big Bend is like no other place on earth and James' photographs are like no others.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big Bend, March 14, 2010

By 

A. Tallis "Big Bend Vacationer" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big Bend Pictures (Hardcover)

I didnt care for it. It is a lot of pictures of people not the Big Bend area. I was looking for more scenic photos... given the area of the country.