Lou Reed's New York (Hardcover)

~ Lou Reed (Photographer)

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Product Description

After his first book of photographs was published, Lou Reed told a journalist for The Independent on Sunday that, "I live on intuition and taking pictures is intuitive." Here, we see Lou Reed's intuitive take on New York, the city that has been the fulcrum of his creative world for decades and with which he has become indelibly identified. We've heard about the streets and characters for so long through his words and music, and now we can see it through his eyes. Over 100 of Reed's photographs comprise New York, an intimate view of what inspires him. Hardcover, 9 x 13.5 in./192 pgs / 100 color.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Steidl/Edition 7L (January 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3865211526
• ISBN-13: 978-3865211521
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #547,350 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging., June 9, 2006

By	OT "delirium_tremens" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This book is really a visual poetry on New York, mostly working with areas on or near the Hudson river. I am partial in looking at this book as I know the area well and have also experienced a lot of the incredible early evening light along the Manhattan's West border. And the character of the Hudson fjord/river, retaining a rich history of maritime and urbanity, dissappearing under redevelopment schemes of various qualities.
The book is divided into several sections under their own heading. Each of these would be sufficient for a smaller photgraphy exhibition. I particularly like Blood moon and the distorted electric instrument like works.
There are also dark images, as if the twilight moment so strong at the river makes objects and spaces barely visible. The dark is an interesting photographic subject.
I also like the chapter with this beautiful title:

Sunrise Sunset
Don't you ever go to rest
The moon forever circling
A ring on the finger of a God.

It starts relating words with the images and gets away from the plain photographic imagery.
There is a side in his photograpic works where things are looked at intently, up close, experiences from a possibly shaky hand, overlays, interpretations and experimenting with the medium.
This is not your normal photographers book, it contains the works of a word-man.
Anyway, from this book I get the sense that Manhattan is the center of Lou's universe, in a larger cosmic sense to a plain almost in your face reality check.
There are a number of references in this book worthy of some discussion, I'll only mention here the Empire State building at the end. I read it as a subtle recognition of Drella's old movie. New York is rich in history and Lou's images contain more than meets the eye. Not knowing what to expect I have to say this book was surprising to me, the quality and thought and effort to experiment.


(I bought my copy at his exhibition opening. It has a kind of a fabric cover. I don't know if the edition sold here is exactly the same format.)