Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-10-05)

(Antfer) #1

8 5 October 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113


BOOK


T


hisbookwasoriginallyprinted
in 1992byCornerhouse
Publicationsandwasnotorious
MagnumphotographerBruce
Gilden’sfirstmajorbook.It’sbeenoutof
printforsometime,butis recognisedby
manyasa ‘classic’,soit’sgreatto seeit
reproducedhereforfansof Gilden,of
NewYork,black& whitephotography,or
thestreetgenrein general.

BruceGildenhasa lotof admirers.But
heprobablyhasjustasmanydetractors.
His‘inyourface’styleis confrontational
andharsh,butmanywouldarguethatit’s
alsorealistic,withhissubjectshaving
nowheretohide.Lotsof theimagesin
thisbookarefarfromtechnicallyperfect,
butthat’salmostirrelevantif youconsider
themascharacterstudies.
NewYorkis oneof thoseplaces– like
London– whereyoucanpoundthe
streetsandneverrunoutof thingsto
photograph.It’salsoa placewhere
peoplearesousedtooddballsonevery
corner,thata blokeenteringyour
personalspacewitha cameraanda
flashgunis sorun-of-the-millthatit
almostbecomesmundane.
HavingmetandinterviewedGilden
myself(seeIn YourFace, AP4 August
2018),hisdevil-may-careattitudeis not
justanact,butit’stherebecausehehas
a genuinefascinationwiththehuman
conditionandwantstoshowusaswe
reallyare,notashowwechooseto
presentourselves.
Halfthebattlewithstreetphotography
is havingcouragein yourconvictions
togetupcloseandpersonal.Perhaps
Brucehasa littletoomuchof this,but
thepicturesin thisbookarea good
lessonin a stylethathasproventobe
lucrativeforhim.
Myonlymaincriticismhereis a lackof
captions,introductionorcontext.While
photographsshould– andtheydo–
speakforthemselves,it wouldbeniceto
havesomemoreinsightintospecific
locations,andparticularlydates
whentheyweretaken.

Published by
Dewi Lewis
Publishing
Price £30,
hardback,
92 pages,
ISBN 9 78-1-
911306-47-


★★★★★


Fa cing


N e w Yo r k


By Bruce Gilden


Now reprinted after first being published 27 years


ago, this major work focuses on some revealing


character studies, as Amy Davies writes


‘New York City. 1986.’ The portraits in the collection were
taken in black & white


‘Bruce has a fascination
with the human

condition and wants to


show us as we really are’


ALL PICTURES © ©BRUCE GILDEN/MAGNUM PHOTOS

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