Musée Magazine's Best of 2017: The Photography Books
The Photography Books
California by John Chiara
California is the much anticipated debut book by photographer John Chiara. Chiara’s photography elicits an arresting sense nostalgia as we are taken on a tour of California as seen through the lens of the photographer’s handmade analogue field camera. It is Chiara’s exquisitely distinct photographic process that sets his work apart. Imagery and memory meet and become singular in California.
The Island of the Colorblind by Sanne de Wilde
The Island of the Colorblind is the debut photography book by Belgium-born photographer, Sanne de Wilde. The book explores a small Pacific atoll, Pingelap that is home to an unusually high number of people with achromatopsia, or colorblindness. Wilde shot the series in black and white and infrared but upon returning to Belgium, she worked with a group of people with achromatopsia asking them to "color" the photos she took. What resulted were trees of pink and parrots boasting surreal tones, an awe-inspiring glimpse into the world of the colorblind.
Coming of Age by Petra Collins
In her debut monograph Coming of Age, Petra Collins reveals herself as artist and young woman in beautiful layers of generous color and soft light. Collins invites readers to appreciate the beauty of raw youth and unrestrained femininity, introducing Coming of Age into the canon of feminist photography that seeks to appreciate the feminine with honesty, inclusivity, and genuine love for its subjects.
Inside Out by JR
Inside Out is the product of French photographer, JR's "wish to change the world." After appearing on a TED talk and being awarded $100,000 to execute his project, JR traveled the world capturing large-scale portraits of individuals across a range of communities. The photographer then turned the portraits into street art, adorning city blocks with the faces of its own community. Inside Out is an uninhibited snapshot of our humanity and a celebration of being alive.
Portraits by Annie Leibovitz
Portraits is a compilation of work from the doyen of celebrity photography, Annie Leibovitz. We’ve seen these portraits before: artists in their studios, athletes showing off their abs, Melania Trump posing bikini-clad in front of a private jet with a detached Donald sitting in a Lamborghini... But what we also get, with Leibovitz’s seasoned expertise, is portraiture through objects, such as Virginia Woolf’s desk. Annie Leibovitz’s Portraits masterfully tell the stories of her subjects as well as reflecting the transcendent and ever-changing image of the society who is viewing them, keeping it an eternally relevant work of art.
