Peru: Photographs [Hardcover]

Robert Frank (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2008

In March 1949, Robert Frank mailed a birthday gift to his mother in Switzerland: A maquette of a series of photographs he had made during a visit to Peru between June and December of the previous year. Frank assembled an identical book for himself, and these two maquettes now reside in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. A few of the images are well known in Frank's oeuvre, but until now very few people have seen the entire series--which, in 1949, already displayed the hallmark of Frank's distinctive image-sequencing. Peru also exhibits an ease and flexibility that Frank himself confirms: "I was very free with the camera. I didn't think of what would be the correct thing to do; I did what I felt good doing. I was like an action painter." Using a hand-held 35mm Leica camera, Frank documented the country's massive vistas, weathered faces, manual labor and dusty roads stretching to the horizon with a spontaneity of motion that propels the viewer into the midst of the scenery. For the first time, and under the direction of Frank himself, this book presents the complete sequence of images. Peru is a work of major significance in both the artist's history and the history of photography. Published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Steidl; First edition (July 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3865216927
• ISBN-13: 978-3865216922
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #805,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Travel > Latin America > South America > Peru

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Timeless Images, December 15, 2008

By 

dojoklo (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peru: Photographs (Hardcover)

Beautiful photos of (mostly) campesinos and landscapes of Andean Peru. While the subjects are often the indigenous people, the visual approach and sparseness of the images also strongly captures a sense of the land and the environment where they lived and worked. There is a true connection to the place for the viewer.

What is also astonishing is the timelessness of these photos, in that the dress and the places remain largely unchanged in many rural areas of Peru. One could capture many of these images today - all they need is the talent, sensibilities, and eye of Robert Frank!

An inspiring must-view for any photographer traveling to Peru.
www.dojoklo.com

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Frank, August 16, 2009

By 

W. Rosen "chickendog" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peru: Photographs (Hardcover)

Robert Frank is a master of black and white photography and in capturing a certain feel and place of something familiar yet somehow elevated. This is a slim volume of work that has not been printed in its complete form so this is a rare treat for Robert Frank collectors. beautifully printed and this probably won't stay in print so best to buy a copy before it goes out of print.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good art (photos) but no anthropology, December 6, 2011

By 

W. Tuohy (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peru: Photographs (Hardcover)

The photos are excellent, but I would like to know more: from what era, what part(s) of Peru, and in each case how did the photographer come to be there, interact with the subjects, etc.

From my own experiences in Peru - starting in 1961 (perhaps the era of Frank's photos) - I suspect that he was in the South, mostly on the altiplano (high plane, up to 14,000 ft elevation). Other evidence for my opinion is the pack animals - llamas - not then found farther north. The indigenous people used to be camera shy, especially with outsiders/strangers. How did Frank get access? And who was the man wearing a necktie? In local parlance, probably a "cholo" (partly acculterated to modern, hispanic culture) and as I recall the only such person among Frank's photo collection.

One of the reviewers calls these photos timeless, that life patterns there have changed little. I disagree. Even by the early 1970s indigenous people had begun to wear factory made clothing (especially the men), more motor vehicles were present, etc.

A notable book of photos is: CORDILLERA BLANCA - PERU (1950, by Tiroler Graphik in Innsbruk, Austria). Its photos are from climbing expeditions in the 1930s, and show the high mountains (up to 22,000 ft. peaks) plus valley settings (definitely not the altiplano). It has text, in German, English, and Spanish. While somewhat expensive on the used book market, well worth considering. I bought my copy 50 years ago in Lima and still treasure it.