Customer Reviews

Empire: Impressions from China (Imago Mundi series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm thankful that some publisher was wise enough to feature James Whitlow Delano's work in his very own book. But I'm sorry it was Imago Mundi. Why couldn't it have been Phaidon, Scalo or Taschen? They could have really done his work some justice.

What are my complaints one might ask. Well my main issue with the book is the fact that the images are muddy and far darker than his work actually is. You see, I learned of this book in an interview with Delano on a DVD produced by LensWork magazine. The DVD, which is a far better investment than this book, goes into detail about Whitlow's career, his origins in photography and his influences. Unlike this book, the DVD also features 160 of his works and they are presented far better than anything in this book.

Do I recommend this book? Well not for anyone who's looking for an introduction to his. I would suggest LenWork's DVD/CD set or Delano's own website for that. But if you are a fan or collector then you probably wouldn't need my input to begin with. I would only urge someone to purchase this book in the hopes that Delano can benefit from the sales and continue to fund his future projects. Maybe if other publishers find that there is interest in publications of his works, then someone who is truely capable of producing a quality presentation may just step forward.

I love his work so I was pretty dissapointed in the printing quality in this book. I'm still giving this book 4 stars though because he's an exceptional photographer. I hope a quality publisher will do his next book though.

I write this knowing that the Agfa paper James Delano has used so far in his career, is about to be discontinued -- like many of the rural locales he chronicles in this book. And there is no better elegy for Agfa's silver paper than this collection of images, where Delano uses the paper to breath-taking effect. The images have an elegiac quality, everyday Chinese moments that have been caught and wrapped with a shimmering, silver timelessness. My favourite is the rural woman crossing a wooden bridge with her two infants - black and white photography at its very best. Elsewhere, Delano has manually dodged the paper to near-black, forming blurred images that have the mystery and power of half-buried archetypes.

Agfa is gone, thank God for Ilford!

An amazing body of work, and a must for anyone visually interested in the China of the late 1990's/ early 00's.