The Theatre of the Face
An engaging history of portrait photography by one of the world's leading critics.
Max Kozloff
- An engaging and authoritative account of the history of portrait photography by one of the world’s leading photography critics
- Features the work of the most famous portraitists including Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol, alongside figures from the beginning of photography such as Edward Sheriff Curtis and Martín Chambi, and recent contemporary photographers such as Martin Parr, Robert Bergman and Christian Boltanski
- Written by the former editor of Art Forum, Max Kozloff, the leading photography critic working today, recipient of numerous awards and prizes, and himself a noted art photographer who considers portraiture the central project of photography
- Offers a new perspective on the history of photography covering a wide range of movements and styles, and the work of photographers around the world, but in the fascinating context of the personalities behind the camera, their motivations and intentions in portraying their subjects, and their subjects’ own relationship with the camera and their portraitist
Hardback
205 x 270 mm, 8 1/8 x 10 5/8 in
336 pp
70 colour illustrations
280 black and white illustrations
ISBN 9780714843728
0714843725
An engaging and authoritative commentary on the history of portrait photography by one of the world's leading photography critics, this book provides a new perspective on the history of the medium through examining the personalities both behind and in front of the camera, as well as the fascinating relationship between photographer and subject as revealed through the genre. It covers a broad range of styles and movements from early portraitists such as Edward Sheriff Curtis to the well-known work of seminal figures including Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon and August Sander, as well as contemporary portraiture by Thomas Ruff, Philip Lorca diCorcia and Cindy Sherman. This book will be an essential title for critics, students of photography, photography enthusiasts, or anyone with a general interest in portraiture.
Max Kozloff is one of the leading photography critics working today, and the recipient of numerous prizes and fellowships. Formerly the editor of
Art Forum, he is a prolific writer whose contribution includes the first monograph on Jasper Johns, a book of collected essays entitled,
Photography and Fascination (1978), two further books of essays on the medium, a study of Duane Michals and a history of New York street photography that accompanied a travelling museum show, which he curated in 2002. Kozloff has also taught on numerous photography courses and is a noted photographer himself, having exhibited in the United States, Mexico and India. His passion for portraiture stems from his own visual practice and informs his belief that this genre is photography’s central project.
A book to get!
I opened this book and randomly perceived 2 very striking photos : the very famous "Migrant mother" by Dorothea Lange and a new interpretation of this portrait by a contemporary photographer. This is what this book is about : from the first to the second image, the author provides very insightful comments about the evolution of this art. A book to get!