Customer Reviews

Wynn Bullock: The Enchanted Landscape, Photographs 1940-1975

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Not too many words in this book. Words aren't necessary because Wynn Bullock's photographic artistry speaks for itself. He is undoubtedly a master of his craft but he is also quite spiritual. When I first saw his image of "Nude in a Dead Forest", I paused to look at it. To me, that says something because in this day and age, we seem to be bombarded with so much information and 'eye candy.' Bullock has the ability to transcend the ordinary. I believe he is that good. As good as Edward Weston (a single portrait by his friend Wynn Bullock included in this volume), Imogen Cunningham, and Alfred Stieglitz. There are some quotes from Bullock and they certainly add form to his vision but buy this for the enchanting images of landscapes, nudes, and portraits.

Well... as a keen photographer I can really appreciate this book as I am sure many other people will, whether you are an artist or not. The Photos are SUPERB. They are often haunting, but alwayts beautiful, and taken with such skill that they are timeless. In actual fact they could have been taken yesterday, as there are no specific hints of the time in which they were taken. They are as moving and as thought provoking as ever, and for anyone interested in Weston, Cunningham, Man Ray, or Ansel Adams, this could be a definite point of interest, as these were his big influences. But havingsaid that, he does have a very definite style! There is a definite feeling of tenderness about them which I dont think is ever really displayed by Weston or Adams, yet the actual images are wonderfully sharp - a delight to regard.

Whether you are a serious Art Fan, or just curious about photography, this is definitly worth considering buying. Bullock is often pushed aside, but usually only by people who have not seen anything by him.

If you want to track down pricey Bullock 1st editions, you can probably end up with some quality books.

However, there is a lot to recommend this savvy, lovely book from Aperture. A quality piece of work: over-sized trade paperback, 199 pp, b&w images throughout, all images full page. Since this is a book from the 1990's, the level of reproduction here is quite good. There is an "Aperture Masters of Photography" Bullock book which I'd avoid. The format is too small for this photographer's work.

At any rate, here you get a wondrous accumulation of photos selected from 35 years of Bullock's work. All the important "child in the forest" images are here including the cover image which is elemental and strange and worthy of contemplation. However, this isn't just the landscapes. There are portraits, some character studies, and an image of puppeteers at work (!?!???) which is probably my favorite.

Aperture includes an Ursula Le Guin poem and some selections from Bullock's prose. Since Bullock was an unusually thoughtful and philosophical fellow, the prose bits of this book feel essential rather than obligatory. There's biographical information about the artist, a terrific five page essay about the artist, and a bibliography with list of exhibitions.