Customer Reviews

Contemporary Photography and the Garden: Deceits and Fantasies

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Thomas Padon's fine book/catalogue (made to accompany a traveling exhibition of the works included) is one to please a diverse audience: garden lovers, art history devotees, and those addicted to the art of fine photography will all find this very special book one of endless pleasure.

The concept of the garden as the subject for a photographic essay is a unique one and the artists whose works range from the old concepts to the contemporary and utilizing all manner of camera techniques are some of the best in this field. This is not simply collected garden shots but rather images of the mysteries both immediately accessible and those more occult that require time and repeated exposure to appreciate. The dialogue of the book is provided with fine essays not only by Padon but also by such fine and creative minds as Robert Harrison, Ronald Jones, and Shirin Neshat.

But in the end the book is about pictures and these rare images are captured by such disparate artists as Catherine Opie, Sally Mann, Len Jenschel, Jack Pierson, Sally Apfelbaum, Daniel Boudinet, Peter Fischli and David Weiss to name but a few. The gardens are represented by locations from India, Japan, Europe, North and South America and are selected to investigate the symbolism both spiritual and cultural that these wondrous images capture.

Every aspect of this book is set with loving care and is worthy of the libraries of everyone in love with the secret treasures of the Garden. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 06

I bought this book because I am much into garden and flower fotography myself. Anyway I think this book is interesting to everybody looking for new ideas in photography, in general. It is just amazing to see how different can be the approches to a same subject. You go from almost impressionistic views, to ultrasharp images, to compositions that recall maybe cubism in showing all different sides of the garden at the same time. If you like photography, buy it. You will find it deeply stimulating. And of course the photos are amazing and the print is just excellent.