Philip-Lorca diCorcia (Contemporaries, a Photography Series) [Hardcover]

Peter Galassi (Author), Philip-Lorca diCorcia (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2003 | Series: Contemporaries, a Photography Series

Back in Print Philip-Lorca diCorcia's inventively staged and exquisitely crafted color photographs occupy a special place in contemporary art. Operating in the gap between postmodern fiction and documentary fact, between slick convention and fresh perception, they deliver a powerful emotional charge. The 55 color plates in this book, dating from 1978 to 1994, trace the evolution of a compelling and influential body of work. Beginning with enigmatic domestic scenarios whose protagonists are the photographer's family and friends, diCorcia moved on to an ambitious series in which Hollywood drifters and hustlers are pictured as emblematic figures of contemporary America. He proceeded to deploy his probing curiosity amid the energy and turmoil of big-city streets, reinvigorating a rich photographic tradition that had been dormant for nearly a generation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Philip-Lorca diCorcia was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1951. He received his MFA in Photography from Yale University in 1979. Published volumes accompany his solo exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art (Philip-Lorca diCorcia, 1995) and PaceWildenstein Gallery, New York (Streetwork 1993-1997, 1997; Heads, 2001; A Storybook Life, 2003). His work is included in the collections of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. He has been named a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and has received multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. DiCorcia lives and works in New York City.

Peter Galassi is Chief Curator in the Department of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York (May 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870701452
• ISBN-13: 978-0870701450
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 10.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Realism and Artificiality, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Philip-Lorca Dicorcia (Contemporaries : a Photography Series) (Paperback)

In Andy Grundberg's book, Crisis of the Real, he predicts that "the character of photography in the new millennium will be something more overtly fabricated, manipulative, artificial, and self conscious then the photography we have come to know." Interested in this prediction, I have been exploring artists using fiction and theatricality in their work; such as, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Jeff Wall, Eileen Cowin, and Tiny Barny to name a few. These artists are not only questioning the representational authority of photography but also exploring the extent to which artiface takes part in constructing a narrative. In carefully staged scenes, apparently taken from ordinary, everday life, diCorcia's images originate not so much from experience as from imagination. They seem convincingly real, yet are just enough over the top to remind us of how mediated photography can be. I think this is the type of overt fabrication Grundberg was referring to. diCorcia gives meticulous attention to every detail and has a wonderful sense of composition, particularly with the use of color. Many of his pictures will make you laugh, while others may offer an odd parallel to your own experiences. This is an original book, well worth having to return to as a source of pleasure and inspiration.

3 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief review, August 2, 2007

By 

Paul R. Steel "pabloinla" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philip-Lorca diCorcia (Contemporaries, a Photography Series) (Hardcover)

The photographer produces only a few photos each year. The detail and care of his art challenge me to become as powerful in my own work.

1 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, April 10, 2007

By 

A. Côté - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philip-Lorca diCorcia (Contemporaries, a Photography Series) (Hardcover)

If you're a fan or love photography, well it's a good one. Especially if you're interested in portrait and street photography. Philip-Lorca diCorcia is a must in that field. So, of course, there is plenty of photographs (great ones) but that's about it. This is not the book you want to buy to read about diCorcia. But still, very glad to have it!