subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 21 March 2020 9
TonyRay-Jones
RRBPhotobooks/Martin Parr Foundation, 128
pages,hardback, £48, ISBN 9791096575114
An essay in the middle of this
fantastic book starts with the
sentence, ‘Tony Ray-Jones was
born in June 1941 and died in
March 1972 – the arithmetic
alone makes it remarkable that his
smallbutdistinctive body of photographs, created in
lessthana decade, lives on as a signifi cant marker in
thehistoryof British photography.’
There’sprobably no better way to put how someone
withsucha shortlife holds a fascination and reverence- especiallyforfans of documentary and black &
whitephotography. The recent show at the Martin Parr
Foundation,whohave co-produced this book, was a
triumph.Thebook is perhaps even better, given that
youcankeepit. It’s a masterclass in documentary
photography,observing the human condition and
muchmorebesides. ★★★★★ Amy Davies
©
LOTT
EDAV
ESGold Rush. The last days of Kuomintang, Shanghai, 1948
A localwhoescortsbridesin a sedanchair,Beijing, 1948
Quinn:AJourney, Lottie Davies
Runsuntil 31 May at Herbert Art Gallery &
Museum,Coventry. Entry free.
Mon-Sat10.00-4.00, Sun 12.00-4.
Basedaroundthe fi ctional story of William Henry
Quinn,whowalks from the south west of England to
thefarnorthof Scotland in post-Second World War
Britain,thisintriguing new exhibition makes use of a
numberof different mediums. As well as large-format
photographs,there is video, ephemera and text
vignettes.It reflects on the changes imposed on a
generationthrough confl ict and global socio-
economiccollapse, as well as personal tragedy.
AlthoughQuinnis fi ctional, the project draws on
real-lifeexperiences.
Thisshowfeelsmore like reading a novel, visiting the
theatre,goingtothe cinema and viewing a traditional
photographydisplay all at the same time. It’s a fantastic
opportunitytosee one of Britain’s most-eminent art
photographersat the moment. Amy DaviesALL PICTURES © FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON / MAGNUM PHOTOS
Also out now
The latest books and exhibitions from
the world of photographyEXHIBITION
transform this massive, almost unfathomably
historic nation. But disillusionment
eventually set in as it became clear how
much the population was suffering under
Mao’s grandiose schemes.
This monumental new volume from
Thames & Hudson includes the greatest
images from HCB’s trips to China in
1948-9, and 1958, a period of huge
change. I have quite a few books about
HCB but haven’t looked at them for a
while. Coming to this latest book, I am
struck again by his almost supernatural
ability when it comes to composition. The
iconic Gold Rush in Shanghai (above top),
for example, almost seems staged, with
the jostling crowd, who are desperately
trying to empty their bank accounts
before the Communists arrive, carefully
choreographed like a still from a movie.
Of course, the shot wasn’t staged at all
(the crowd had much bigger worries than
keeping some big-nosed foreign devil of a
photographer happy). Then there are the
less dramatic, but still highly poetic, shots
of the denizens of old Beijing, a world with
roots in the Qing dynasty which was about
to disappear forever.
Moving into the 1950s we get more
shots of happy factory workers and young
pioneers, which seem naively optimistic
knowing what we now know about the
subsequent mayhem of the Cultural
Revolution, but again, you can’t fault
HCB’s photographic technique and
compositional genius. Accompanying the
images is a highly authoritative text,
co-authored by Taiwanese curator Ying
Lung-su to give a wider cultural
perspective. This book is required reading
for fans of HCB or anyone interested in
the history of China – now a global
superpower for better or worse.
Geoff HarrisBOOK