Friedlander (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Photographer), George Benson (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Lee Friedlander is one of the most important of the 1960s generation of photographers for whom the posture of disinterested objectivity served as a vehicle for passionate personal inquiries. His large body of work--he most often produces extended series of pictures on a chosen theme, then publishes them in book form--is broad in subject matter and supple and complex in style, and focuses on what he calls America's "social landscape." At the same time, he has pursued a playful dialogue with artistic tradition--as though open-eyed curiosity about the world, and a sophisticated taste for the wiles of picture-making were one and the same thing. Lee Friedlander takes a deep critical look at Friedlander's abundantly productive career. Including over 500 photographs grouped by series, and an incisive essay by Peter Galassi, Chief Curator of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art, this oversized publication is the most comprehensive review of the photographer's career to date.

"Photography is a generous medium." -Lee Friedlander

Essay by Peter Galassi.

Afterword by Richard Benson.

Hardcover, 11 x 12 in./504 pgs / 25 color and 825 duotones.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870703439
• ISBN-13: 978-0870703430
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 12.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #759,601 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book to own of Friedlander's work, March 20, 2006

By	A photographer (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

An excellent overview of Lee Friedlander's pioneering career. If you are only peripherally interested in Friedlander and his photography, this is the book to buy. If you are a longtime admirer of his work, this will be the book you will return to again and again.

In addition to a generous display of photographs, the introductory essay (although a bit dense at times) gives insight into Friedlander's motivations and achievements.

Friedlander seems to be a controversial subject on photography forums across the Net. It's interesting to read the opinions of other photographers on these internet forums who think his work is sloppy, unsophisticated, amateurish, etc. Once confronted with this enlightening overview of Friedlander's work, it becomes obvious that what is truly sloppy, unsophisticated and amateurish is the perspective of those espousing these opinions. What evolves is the fact that Friedlander is a treasure.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Overview of Lee Friedlander's Work, July 3, 2005

By	John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Without question one of America's great photographers, Lee Friedlander can also be regarded as among the world's most influential photographers. This heavy, massive coffee table-sized book is a collection of every important body of work Lee Friedlander has made since the 1950's, beginning with his early commercial photographs of jazz musicians to his classic "American Monuments" series from the 1970's, to his unique nudes taken over two decades, Sonoran cacti depicted in his classic mid 1990's landscape book "The Desert Seen", and of course his recent body of work. It is the companion volume to the current Lee Friedlander retrospective - the first in over a decade - organized and shown currently at New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It contains an excellent critical overview by the exhibition's curator, Peter Galassi, chairperson of MoMA's photography department.

Lee Friedlander first appeared as one of several influential photographers who had a "Snapshot Aesthetic" to their documentary photography (Others include the late Garry Winogrand, William Klein and Joel Meyerowitz, to name but a few.) during the 1950's and 1960's. However, Friedlander's vision has always been unique, drawing upon his love of jazz music for his often spellbinding, distinctive photographic compositions. At first glance a Lee Friedlander image may be poorly composed, but upon further inspection, you can't help but feel impressed by his odd, yet still sensible logic in composing images. If you have a chance to visit New York City before the end of August, then by all means see this exhibition, which contains more than 500 images selected and sequenced by Galassi himself; otherwise, I highly recommend acquiring this splendid book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Framing the world through the viewfinder, April 19, 2006

By	Philip L. Ringler "who's to say what Zen is a... (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lee Friedlander is one of the most important photographers within the history of the medium. His uncanny sense of irony merges with a refreshing use of formal design, producing provocative visual metaphors. His use of frames within frames comments on the nature of photography itself. It is hard to look at the american landscape the same after viewing his work, and that is a good thing! If you can afford another Friedlander book besides this one, i highly recommend "Like a One-Eyed Cat"!