A short illustrated survey of the use of photography in contemporary art since the mid-1980s. The work of approximately 150 of the best-known artist-photographers are featured: Andreas Gursky, Nan Goldin, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Richard Billingham, Juergen Teller, Thomas Demand, Yinka Shonibare, Thomas Ruff, JeffWall, Wolfgang Tillmans, and many more. Themed chapters consider subjects such as narrative and storytelling in art photography, photographing the everyday and the insignificant, the use of photography in conceptual art, and the cool, detached, objective aesthetic prevalent in current art photography.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Essential reading for anyone who wishes to make sense of the complex and sometimes baffling world of conceptual art photography” (The Picture Professional )
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Charlotte Cotton was formerly Curator of Photography at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She is now Head of Programming at the Photographer's Gallery in London. Among her previous books are Guy Bourdin and Imperfect Beauty.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 57 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Info-Packed and Insightful (the 2nd [2009] Ed. Having 24 More Pages Than the 1st [2004] Ed.), With Only Minor Imperfections
December 14, 2004
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
UPDATE JANUARY 2010: My review of the first (2004) edition is given verbatim below. In the next paragraph I compare the first edition and the second (2009) edition.
The first 217 pages of the 2nd ed. are different in only minor ways from the first 217 pages of the 1st ed.* However, pages 218-241 in the 2nd ed. contain a new final chapter 8, "Physical and Mental," discussing photographic works for which "the very nature of the medium is part of the narrative of the work." Among other topics, chapter 8 covers appropriation (e.g., rephotographing photographs); analog versus digital photography; and photographs in sculptures, collages, multimedia installations, books, and Web sites. Artists discussed in this chapter include James Welling, Isa Genzken, Walead Beshty, Zoe Leonard, An-My Le, Ed Ruscha, Rinko Kawauchi, and others. The writing style is similar to the first seven chapters, and is again of high quality. The "Further Reading" list on pages 242-243 in the 2nd ed. has references as recent as 2009. In conclusion, if you own the 1st ed., you MAY wish to replace it with the 2nd ed., but it's not an absolute must.
* In specific, p.10 has a new paragraph summarizing the new final chapter, material on Sherrie Levine has been moved from p.214 to the new final chapter, and the paragraph on Vibeke Tandberg on p.217 is slightly reworded.
--- DECEMBER 14, 2004, REVIEW OF FIRST (2004) EDITION FOLLOWS ---
This information-packed paperback, which is relatively small for an art book, has an Introduction and seven chapters. The Intro specifies that the book is a "the kind of overview you might experience if you visited exhibitions in a range of venues." After summarizing the chapters, the Intro concludes with descriptions of photographers who are "figureheads" or "cornerstones" of contemporary artistic photography: Eggleston, Shore, the Bechers, Keita, Goldblatt, and Meatyard.
Chapter 1, "If This Is Art," covers photos for which the artist has created an event prior to the shutter's being released. Among the artists discussed are Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Erwin Wurm. As a small problem, three of the photographs are reproduced at a rather small size (<15 square cm).
In Chapter 2, "Once Upon a Time," the author writes of photography in which "narrative is loaded into a single frame," which the author also calls "tableau photography." The prototypic artist here is Jeff Wall.
The next two chapters are my least favorite in the book. Chapter 3, "Deadpan," concerns a "cool, detached and keenly sharp type of photography." Many of the "deadpan" photographers, such as Andreas Gursky and Thomas Struth, were influenced by the Bechers and use large photos to convey their points. Chapter 4, "Something and Nothing," discusses still lifes, architecture, and nature shots that "push[] the boundaries of what might be considered a credible visual subject." Maybe I'm missing the point, but I fail to understand how many of the photos (e.g., of car panels in a doorway, a globe in a window, and a pink fabric bow) are artful.
Chapter 5's theme, "Intimate Life," encompasses work by photographers such as Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Chapter 6's theme, "Moments in History," does not relate to photojournalism, but rather to "aftermath photography" and the documentation of various groups of people in an almost anthropological fashion. If Chapter 3 suffers from the book's inability to show the photos close to their full size, Chapters 5 and 6 suffer from the book's inability to show sequences of photos by each artist.
Chapter 7, "Revived and Remade," is my favorite. This concentrates on photographs that "exploit[] our pre-existing knowledge of imagery." Works by Joan Fontcuberta, Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, Gillian Wearing, and others make one think hard about the nature of photography.
The back pages give references for further reading, a list of the over 200 photos (giving dimensions of the originals etc.), and an index of photographers (who hail from many countries). Overall the book is well-written and insightful. Don't miss this book at Amazon.com!
The first 217 pages of the 2nd ed. are different in only minor ways from the first 217 pages of the 1st ed.* However, pages 218-241 in the 2nd ed. contain a new final chapter 8, "Physical and Mental," discussing photographic works for which "the very nature of the medium is part of the narrative of the work." Among other topics, chapter 8 covers appropriation (e.g., rephotographing photographs); analog versus digital photography; and photographs in sculptures, collages, multimedia installations, books, and Web sites. Artists discussed in this chapter include James Welling, Isa Genzken, Walead Beshty, Zoe Leonard, An-My Le, Ed Ruscha, Rinko Kawauchi, and others. The writing style is similar to the first seven chapters, and is again of high quality. The "Further Reading" list on pages 242-243 in the 2nd ed. has references as recent as 2009. In conclusion, if you own the 1st ed., you MAY wish to replace it with the 2nd ed., but it's not an absolute must.
* In specific, p.10 has a new paragraph summarizing the new final chapter, material on Sherrie Levine has been moved from p.214 to the new final chapter, and the paragraph on Vibeke Tandberg on p.217 is slightly reworded.
--- DECEMBER 14, 2004, REVIEW OF FIRST (2004) EDITION FOLLOWS ---
This information-packed paperback, which is relatively small for an art book, has an Introduction and seven chapters. The Intro specifies that the book is a "the kind of overview you might experience if you visited exhibitions in a range of venues." After summarizing the chapters, the Intro concludes with descriptions of photographers who are "figureheads" or "cornerstones" of contemporary artistic photography: Eggleston, Shore, the Bechers, Keita, Goldblatt, and Meatyard.
Chapter 1, "If This Is Art," covers photos for which the artist has created an event prior to the shutter's being released. Among the artists discussed are Philip-Lorca diCorcia and Erwin Wurm. As a small problem, three of the photographs are reproduced at a rather small size (<15 square cm).
In Chapter 2, "Once Upon a Time," the author writes of photography in which "narrative is loaded into a single frame," which the author also calls "tableau photography." The prototypic artist here is Jeff Wall.
The next two chapters are my least favorite in the book. Chapter 3, "Deadpan," concerns a "cool, detached and keenly sharp type of photography." Many of the "deadpan" photographers, such as Andreas Gursky and Thomas Struth, were influenced by the Bechers and use large photos to convey their points. Chapter 4, "Something and Nothing," discusses still lifes, architecture, and nature shots that "push[] the boundaries of what might be considered a credible visual subject." Maybe I'm missing the point, but I fail to understand how many of the photos (e.g., of car panels in a doorway, a globe in a window, and a pink fabric bow) are artful.
Chapter 5's theme, "Intimate Life," encompasses work by photographers such as Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Chapter 6's theme, "Moments in History," does not relate to photojournalism, but rather to "aftermath photography" and the documentation of various groups of people in an almost anthropological fashion. If Chapter 3 suffers from the book's inability to show the photos close to their full size, Chapters 5 and 6 suffer from the book's inability to show sequences of photos by each artist.
Chapter 7, "Revived and Remade," is my favorite. This concentrates on photographs that "exploit[] our pre-existing knowledge of imagery." Works by Joan Fontcuberta, Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, Gillian Wearing, and others make one think hard about the nature of photography.
The back pages give references for further reading, a list of the over 200 photos (giving dimensions of the originals etc.), and an index of photographers (who hail from many countries). Overall the book is well-written and insightful. Don't miss this book at Amazon.com!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By suzie
Format:Paperback
This book is a great introduction to understanding the world of contemporary photography. I have appreciated how the chapters are set-up as a look into the main branches of contemporary photography. If you are a photographer, it can help you discover more people who are doing work which relates to your work or inspires you. Because it has information about so many different photographers it cannot cover them all as thoroughly as one might like; however, it acts as a wonderful springboard into further research. I have found it very useful in searching for great works of photography.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am a photographer. I also live in New York City where I wander through art galleries displaying photographs with which I have a hard time coming to grips. Charlotte Cotton's book seemed to be aimed right at me.
What distinguishes a contemporary art photograph from other beautiful photographs is not always clear, but like Supreme Court Justice Stewart, I know it when I see it. From what the author suggests, it may be that contemporary art photography is less concerned with the form and more with the content, and that viewers are meant to be semiologists decoding what a photograph stands for.
Cotton begins her book with an introduction that includes a taxonomy of contemporary art photography, and to the extent that classifying an object helps us to know and understand it, the introduction alone justifies the book. Surprisingly, rather than look at style or subject matter, she organizes the book based upon the photographers' motivations and working practices. For example one of the classes is pictures of events that have been specifically organized to be photographed while another is pictures that aim to reproduce or refer back to something in the history of photography and other arts.
Each of the classes is allocated a chapter, and allocates a paragraph each to the work several artists, along with a representative photograph. Cotton explains how the photograph fits into the genre and explains something of the meaning of the work. Most of the photographs are just large enough to provide some appreciation of the work and the explanations are as concise as possible.
The book is meant to be a survey and so is more useful for providing a framework for understanding the overall categories than appreciating any individual picture. It should also be noted that the book does not cover a great deal of recent popular photography like the works of Annie Liebovitz or Art Wolfe. I expect that these photographers are seen as working in an older tradition and that they are not "post modern", again, whatever that means.
For the individual who is trying to get his arms around the direction and meaning of much of modern art photography, as well as for people who have dismissed contemporary art photography as unfathomable, this book will provide a good introduction, particularly since Cotton doesn't seem to be tied to the language of deconstruction, but rather speaks without jargon. Yet this is a field of such great variety that even if one read all of the hundreds of books listed by the author for further reading, one would have only scratched the surface.
What distinguishes a contemporary art photograph from other beautiful photographs is not always clear, but like Supreme Court Justice Stewart, I know it when I see it. From what the author suggests, it may be that contemporary art photography is less concerned with the form and more with the content, and that viewers are meant to be semiologists decoding what a photograph stands for.
Cotton begins her book with an introduction that includes a taxonomy of contemporary art photography, and to the extent that classifying an object helps us to know and understand it, the introduction alone justifies the book. Surprisingly, rather than look at style or subject matter, she organizes the book based upon the photographers' motivations and working practices. For example one of the classes is pictures of events that have been specifically organized to be photographed while another is pictures that aim to reproduce or refer back to something in the history of photography and other arts.
Each of the classes is allocated a chapter, and allocates a paragraph each to the work several artists, along with a representative photograph. Cotton explains how the photograph fits into the genre and explains something of the meaning of the work. Most of the photographs are just large enough to provide some appreciation of the work and the explanations are as concise as possible.
The book is meant to be a survey and so is more useful for providing a framework for understanding the overall categories than appreciating any individual picture. It should also be noted that the book does not cover a great deal of recent popular photography like the works of Annie Liebovitz or Art Wolfe. I expect that these photographers are seen as working in an older tradition and that they are not "post modern", again, whatever that means.
For the individual who is trying to get his arms around the direction and meaning of much of modern art photography, as well as for people who have dismissed contemporary art photography as unfathomable, this book will provide a good introduction, particularly since Cotton doesn't seem to be tied to the language of deconstruction, but rather speaks without jargon. Yet this is a field of such great variety that even if one read all of the hundreds of books listed by the author for further reading, one would have only scratched the surface.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Book
This author is incredibly insightful. She puts into words the things that I can not when it comes to photo appreciation.
Published 3 months ago by Andrew
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book Review
I have only started, but browsing through the book, there are a few things I don't care about the book.
Published 5 months ago by Annette R. Skewes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read for Art/Photo Students
I'm currently working on my MFA in Studio Art Photography and this is MUST read. It's contemporary dialogue about photography as art but it delves into sociological as well as... Read more
Published on May 3, 2011 by jsb
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good work that makes you want some more
A graphically well documented introduction to the place of photography in contemporary art, although it probably needs more than a couple hundreds pictures and basic descriptions... Read more
Published on March 29, 2010 by David Van Elslande
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this book so much that I bought this second edition for my...
This is a great survey of the themes that have emerged in contemporary photography.
Very easy to read and understand, but by no means a superficial survey. Read more
Very easy to read and understand, but by no means a superficial survey. Read more
Published on November 24, 2009 by Book Lover in NoCo
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice handbook.
This is a general overview of contemporary photographic trends. It makes clear sense of value systems and strategies that can sometimes appear oblique to some. Read more
Published on May 16, 2009 by Donger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Reference
Trying to summarize all the relevant influences in contemporary photography is quite a challenge. This book provides a clear path through some of the more significant... Read more
Published on April 30, 2009 by Emilie
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bargain
This book has an interesting organization, with the chapters classifying artists according to their artistic vision or motivation. Read more
Published on March 30, 2009 by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Excellent book for anyone interested in photography. Even more beneficial when you begin to get serious about your photographs.
Published on January 12, 2008 by Psych Geek
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product and service!
This book offers an understandable discussion of a complex subject. Recommended!
Published on May 9, 2007 by books4parents
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