Bill Brandt, Behind the Camera: Photographs, 1928-1983 [Paperback]

Mark Haworth-Booth (Author), David Mellor (Author), Bill Brandt (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Bill Brandt | Publication Date: December 1985

Acknowledged as a master of twentieth-century photography and the greatest British photographer, Bill Brandt left an indelible mark on the medium during a career that spanned more than fifty years. Trained in Man Ray's Paris studio, Brandt returned to England and produced a body of work that ranged from portraits of upper-crust society to views of the poverty of the industrial north. During the Blitz of World War II Brandt created an epic picture of blacked-out London, with images of bomb-damaged landmarks and residents sheltering in underground subway stations. After the war, he began a series of nude studies using lens distortions and unusual points of view to interpret the female form in new ways. He also photographed the movers and shakers of the English art scene, from Alec Guinness to David Hockney, and, for a series called "Literary Britain," he toured the country tracking down landscapes that had been influential to important British writers. Mark Haworth-Booth, curator of photography at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, provides a contextual overview and information on Brandt's working methods and biography. David Mellor, professor of art history at the University of Sussex, offers cogent interpretations of the larger significance of Brandt's themes and preoccupations.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From working class families to bomb-damaged London, literary portraits and sculptural nudes, Brandt applied the same surrealist slant to all of his subjects... The book contains nearly 100 duotone images, each offering the signature somber air of Brandt, and every section introduced by Hayworth-Booth. The main essay has been written by David Mellor, professor of art history at the University of Sussex, and provides an insightful account of the social changes Brandt lived through and the influence they had on his work." -- Tracy Hallett -- Black&White --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Mark Haworth-Booth, curator of photography at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, analyzes Bill Brandt’s work series by series, providing both a contextual overview and concrete information on Brandt’s working methods and biography.

David Mellor, professor of art history at the University of Sussex in England, offers cogent interpretations of the larger significance of Brandt’s themes and preoccupations.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Aperture (December 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893811912
• ISBN-13: 978-0893811914
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,511,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring his connections to literature, May 15, 2004

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bill Brandt, Behind the Camera: Photographs, 1928-1983 (Paperback)

Bill Brandt Behind The Camera is a study of twentieth century British photographer Bill Brandt's life and works, featuring striking black-and-white samples of his photographs and an insightful biographical, deconstructive, and artistic essay of his pursuits. Exploring his connections to literature, and his deep immersion in the streets of Spain, Paris, and his home nation of Britain, as well as the revelations his camera captured, Bill Brandt Behind The Camera for photography shelves.