"Paul Strand is one of those photographers who have established not just a body of work but a way of seeing. His prints encourage the eye to take an apparently endless journey." --The Times Literary Supplement In 1954 Paul Strand and his wife Hazel spent three months traversing the rugged island of South Uist, off the west coast of Scotland. Tir a'Mhurain reflects the impressions they gathered during their stay. Juxtaposing people and landscape, Strand's photographs depict the perfect complicity he saw between nature and habitation in this wild terrain. Whether they are of rocks and sea or a grinning shepherd boy, scudding clouds hanging over seaside houses or the wrinkled face of an old lady, Strand's images capture the essence and complexity of a singular place. This new edition of Tir a'Mhurain, which includes rare images never before published, is a true masterpiece of photography. In the spirit of the Aperture editions of Strand's classic works La France de Profil (2001) and Un Paese (1997), this volume celebrates the beauty of everyday life.
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Editorial Reviews
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"Paul Strand is one of those photographers who have established not just a body of work but a way of seeing. His prints encourage the eye to take an apparently endless journey."--The Times Literary Supplement
-- Review
-- Review
From the Publisher
A masterpiece of pictorial brilliance that interweaves the eternal symbols of nature with humankind to create the feeling and experience of life itself.
In 1954 Paul Strand and his wife, Hazel, spent three months traversing the rugged island of South Uist, off the west coast of Scotland. Tir a' Mhurain is a collection of photographs that reflects the impressions they gathered during their stay. Juxtaposing people and landscape, Strand's beautifully sequenced photographs depict the perfect complicity he saw between nature and habitation in this wild terrain. Whether it is a view of rocks and the sea or a grinning shepherd boy, scudding clouds hanging over seaside houses, or the wrinkled face of an old lady framed by a knitted shawl, Strand's images transcend the ephemeral. By alternating portraits with staggeringly beautiful images of the environment, he not only evokes the rich inner life of his subjects but allows people and landscape to complement one another.
Paul Strand's early association with Alfred Stieglitz and the artists who were exhibiting at 291 Gallery determined his lifelong devotion to photography. An acknowledged artist of still photography, in 1921 he turned to filmmaking. In 1945 the Museum of Modern Art devoted its first one-man photography exhibition to Strand's work. Two years later he collaborated with Nancy Newhall on a project that was published as Time in New England, the first of Strand's innovative photographic books. It was followed by La France de Profil, Un Paese, Tir a' Mhurain, Living Egypt, and Ghana: An African Portrait.
Paul Strand began photographing at age eighteen. In 1967 he was awarded the David Octavius Hill Medal. Strand died in Orgeval, France, in 1976. Basil Davidson is the author of over thirty books on Africa.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glorious images of landscapes and sea,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tir a'Mhurain: Outer Hebrides (Hardcover)
Tir a' Mhurain: The Outer Hebrides Of Scotland is a new and impressive edition showcasing the 105 duotone, breathtaking, sequenced photographs by Paul Strand (1890-1976) drawn from his 1954 sojourn to the untamed island of South Uist, located near the west coast of Scotland. Glorious images of landscapes and sea, personal portraits of fishermen, and wondrous natural splendor mark this volume which is a joy to leaf through as it presents captured images and memories of a truly timeless beauty. With an informative text by Basil Davidson and featuring an excellent introduction by Catherine Duncan, Tir a' Mhurain is a much appreciated contribution to the art of photography and a highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, and academic "History of Photography" reference collections.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the greatest,
By Michael W Russell (Argyll, Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tir a'Mhurain: Outer Hebrides (Hardcover)
Paul Strand, one of the great photographers of the world, spent three months in 1954 on the Island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Long a fan of Scottish photographers and Scotland (he had devoted the first gallery in his 1937 "Centenary of Photography" exhibition at the New York Museum of Modern Art to the work of the Scottish pioneers Hill and Adamson) he excelled himself with Tir a'Mhurain (the title is Gaelic for "Land of the bent grass" one of the Gaelic names for Uist).It is sumptuous, penetrating and great art. The book is long out of print and this re-print (not quite perfect as some of the pictures appear a little soft) is a rare opportunity to own it without forking out hundreds of pounds for an original (not that they come on the market). If you are interested in photography, the Western Isles, Scotland or even just life and people, buy it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Re-edition of a masters' work.. but who's work is it?,
This review is from: Tir a'Mhurain: Outer Hebrides (Hardcover)
I have been eyeing this publication for some time. As an amateur photographer interested in the history of photography and it's greatest photographers, I thought I should deepen my knowledge of Paul Strand. I chose this book rather than the usual books collecting the "greatest hits" because I wanted to get a feel for a specific photographic study. As I am preparing a book of photographs on an island, I chose Strand's study of a Scottish island, Uist. This edition has been re-released by Aperture and the printing, binding and presentation are first rate. A real pleasure to take into hand and open. The covers are covered in cloth, a rarity in modern books. The book is accompanied by interesting information about the island experiences, but it is not clear what is Strand's work and what is not. This is not a re-release of the original book but a re-working, with some editing of the photographic content. All this is fine, but not knowing what are Strand's words and what aren't, or which photos were in the original edition make it difficult to evaluate Stand's work itself. We are looking at an edited work, and not a reprinting of the original work. That, in my opinion, is where this publication falls down. The pictures are whimsical and tender - not great works of art but ones that speak of a personal poetry of island life, often lonely but beautiful at the same time. Get this book if you already know Strand's work and want to deepen your knowledge, but get a compilation work if this will be your first purchase.
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