Wide Open [Hardcover]

Paul McCartney (Adapter, Foreword), Linda McCartney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

Evoking a sense of the world wide open, Linda McCartney's photographs capture a sense of freedom. Standing as her legacy, the expert way the lens catches a cactus flower or a view of the hills transports one into moments of utter serenity and makes apparent the mastery of her technique. 28 tritone and 10 color photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The variety of photographic methods that McCartney used and the quiet exactitude with which she used them are stunning. It is refreshing to know that she never stopped exploring the capabilities of the medium and of herself as a photographer. This posthumous volume of image after image printed and framed to stand alone--a distant oak in mist, a still life of Indian woodcuts, a colorprint of the heads of poppies--resembles a book of poems. The sense of intimacy is almost overwhelming, as if these were pages from McCartney's diary. There are no pop superstars here, no high-fashion diversions. Instead, a sweaty teapot reflecting the horizon speaks volumes about one of life's quieter everyday moments. The work of Edward Weston comes to mind when viewing some of these photographs, and that of Manuel Alvarez Bravo as well. McCartney was engaged in the world. She had an eye, and she used it well. Raul Nino

Product Details

• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press; 1st edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821225960
• ISBN-13: 978-0821225967
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,307,444 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense beauty in fleeting moments, April 9, 2000

By 

C. Cleveland (Dryden, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wide Open (Hardcover)

She was, indeed, one of the best photographers of her generation. There is a terrific sense of reverence for the natural world in these photos, in which she demonstrates that nature provides the most satisfying, serene, and dramatic of images, if you look for them. And you need not travel to the Grand Canyon or the redwood forests to see them--looking out your back door, out the plane window, in your garden, across the beach, or through the glass teapot on your table, may yield views as delicate and mysterious as the old masters. Of her photographs of people, John Lennon said "She has an eye for an eye." Of her photos of nature, we can say that she had an eye for the most intense beauty in the most fleeting of moments.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, August 28, 2000

By 

elizabeth schmidt (Harper Woods, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wide Open (Hardcover)

I found this book an inspiration. Not surprising since I have always been inspired by Linda's pictures, but I now have a collection of moving moments that she has caught on film. As an amateur photographer I am now inspired to experiment with the medium. I now keep my camera handy where ever I am.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wide Open is a treasure!, March 17, 1999

By 

Kelley C. ([e-mail]) (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wide Open (Hardcover)

Just received my copy of "Wide Open" today. Linda McCartney was a wonderful photographer and should be remembered as such. "Wide Open" is a keepsake that I will pass down to my children. The photographs seem to show a calm serenity and you are left wanting more.