Brandt : The Photography of Bill Brandt (Hardcover)

~ Bill Jay (Introduction), David Hockney (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bill Brandt, one of the most prolific 20th-century photographers, is beautifully represented by this volume, which contains nearly 400 of his black-and-white photographs. These range from his famous, starkly disturbing portraits of the denizens of either end of the social ladder to his late, poetic landscapes and cool, studied, abstract nudes. In between are several series that contain singular images of great familiarity, such as his portrait of painter Francis Bacon in an eerie, lamp-lit landscape, or the one of two housemaids in starched white caps standing at attention behind an upper-crust dining-room table. Brandt's passionate interest in the shocking juxtaposition of the very rich and the very poor brought him a wide audience as well as accusations of being a Socialist propagandist. During the Great Depression, Brandt traveled to the north of England and made some of the most devastating pictures of his career, exposing the extreme poverty--and dignity--of the area's coal miners.

Author Bill Jay has divided this book into eight sections: A European Apprentice, Observing the English, Courting the Surreal, Journeys North, The Dark City (Brandt made haunting pictures of wartime London during the blackouts), A Return to Poetry, Portraying the Artist, and the Perfection of Form. Jay's introduction is warm and perceptive--and laced with juicy anecdotes. Nigel Warburton, another Brandt expert, contributes an illustrated time-line of Brandt's many professional assignments, under the rubric "The Career." This carefully edited book demonstrates why Brandt has always enjoyed high stature among artists, for it is packed with individual masterpieces. But even if it were not, it would be powerful simply for the breadth of Brandt's accomplishments. --Peggy Moorman

From Library Journal

In his foreword to this impressive gathering of Brandt's photographs, David Hockney offers the idea that Brandt "made pictures of the North of England because he regarded the image as the important thing, rather than the purity of execution." Indeed, some of these photographs are no more technically right than one might find in a family album from an aunt or uncle with camera skills. Instead, Brandt seemed to be satisfied with taking the best picture he could in real-life travel across an often bleak territory of people and places. There is a cool English light here, a luster of dampness on most surfaces, and the dirt and grime of work or urban neglect in the old places where Brandt worked best. An interesting section, "The Perfection of Form," demonstrates Brandt's experiments with nudes as pure forms. Jay (photography studies, Arizona State Univ.) and Warburton (philosophy, Open Univ.) supply interpretive essays. Beautifully designed and printed, this volume is subtle and quiet--an impressive retrospective of a photographer who clearly deserves such a formal tribute.
-David Bryant, New Canaan P.L., CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810941090
• ISBN-13: 978-0810941090
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,418,733 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely first rate in form and content, November 15, 1999

By	James Gollin "jgollin" (Santa Fe, US) - See all my reviews

I've been a fan of Bill Brandt for decades, have nearly all the books on Brandt, and am a significant collector of his photographs. I am pleased to say that this book has helped me to see Brandt's work with new eyes, yet again. The images are beautifully and faithfully displayed, the accompanying text helpful, insightful. For too long, purchasing major books on Brandt was an exercise in out-of-print frustration. If you have any interest in Brandt, or if you know someone who does, buy this book! It exceeds expectations.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Collection!, March 12, 2000

By	Andrew Kaiser "A_Reality" (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book really shows how amazing Bill Brandt was as both a photographer and an artist. His work dives into so many areas from landscapes, to documentry work, to stunning figure studies. His use of high contrast is haunting in the best possible way. I was particularly pleased with the way the book covers his entire body of work.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brillant Brandt, April 25, 2001

By	Michael Evans "[e-mail]" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

I recieved this book last christmas as a gift after been totally inspired by his work in various galleries and musems for some years. This book is beautifully presented covering the different subject matters including london, north england, nudes. Looking at these pictures gives one an overall idea what a great talent he was and is one of the gretest photographers of all time. If you are a lover of fine art photography or just enjoy great photography this book is most defently worth buying. A brilliant book.