Photographs: Twenty-Five Years [Hardcover]

Keith Carter (Author), Bill Wittliff (Editor), A. D. Coleman (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1997

Keith Carter's photographs linger in the mind like images from an almost remembered dream. Evocative and haunting, they capture what Carter calls the "little askew moments" that allow viewers to see beyond the surface reality. This book brings together seventy-five photographs chosen by Carter to represent the range of his work since the 1970s. Many of the images in this book have never been published before, while others come from Carter's previous books. A. D. Coleman's introduction traces the development of Carter's work and maps his affinities with other artists and writers who are strongly influenced by the sense of place. In his own words, Keith Carter describes his maturation as a self-taught photographer in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas. He provides insights into his choice of subject matter, his methods of working, and his philosophy of what art should be and do. For the many people who have already discovered Keith Carter's photography, this book offers a visually compelling summation of his career to date. Those who have not yet had that pleasure will find it here.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

From an ordinary East Texas town, Keith Carter has been pulling magic through his camera for a quarter-century. Commonplace subjects--especially children and animals--take on numinous presence in his pictures. "I believe in wonder," he writes. "I look for it in my life every day; I find it in the most ordinary things." His technique is simple; at its most exotic, in his latest photographs, focus is deliberately limited to a small band, with everything else in the image left soft and blurry. But these pictures, basically straightforward shots made with a square-format camera, derive their most important quality not from technique but from an innocent recognition of magical moments. This book of photographs from four previous books and newly published work attests that, although his subjects all come from within a certain geographic region, Carter is no regionalist limited to the folkways and myths of a place. His pictures exert a sensual appeal that is universal. Like all the very best photographers, he captures something new and fresh in common experience. Gretchen Garner

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292711956
• ISBN-13: 978-0292711952
• Product Dimensions: 13.4 x 11.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #858,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mystical trip through the realms of childhood, September 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Photographs: Twenty-Five Years (Hardcover)

I met Keith Carter while he spoke in San Francisco. He is a soft spoken gentleman from the South. His photographs are etherial and mystic in their effort to convey the memories of a childhood. Mr. Carter invites us back into a life in the south, when wadding in a pond - looking for fire flies was something very special. His portraits of dogs, children and towns all show us his world of East Texas through eyes that loved the pace, the flavor and the smells of down home. Mr. Carter really does share this lifestyle with the viewer as you look anew upon "common" buildings and animals with new eyes. You will not be sorry to see and read Keith Carters work.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want another 25 years from Keith Carter, May 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Photographs: Twenty-Five Years (Hardcover)

Once I physically pulled myself from Keith Carter's images and read the text I found his philosophy about the importance of photographing what you have and where you are one of the most realistic, tangible and inspiring ideas I've heard. Keith Carter believes, and he's correct, his photographs of rural Texas are as powerful and as important, if not more, as the photographer who goes to the big city or abroad because he or she thinks they have to, to make important and enduring photographs. The images resonate in your head after you've finished the book. Keith Carter's got a perfect blend of idea, subject matter and technicalities. It will be with me for a long time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, June 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Beaumont, tx USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Photographs: Twenty-Five Years (Hardcover)

the photographs of keith carter really moved me. these are some of the best he's taken (though i can think of a few that should have been included). this book shows the talent carter has (and not just in photography, read his philosophy at the end). For any lover of art or photography, this book is a definate must have.