Tuesday 15 January 2008

The Fool(ish)

A couple of weeks ago I had some money.

Rather than giving it to folk who maybe deserved it- the accountant, the store, the bank - I went shopping.

I bought some books. They arrived today.

This came out a few years ago. And was rather expensive - at least in this country. But I knew I had to get it at some point. My copy is from the fourth print run. Not as exciting as a first edition but ...

This one is. Came out a couple of years later, was equally expensive and I knew I had to get it at some point too. They're books to dip into rather than read cover to cover - partly cos they weigh so much my wrists wouldn't cope with prolonged exposure.


The cover shots were stolen from photo-eye, a good place to start looking for photographic books and works.

I bought this cos, as normally happens when I'm at Amazon deciding to spend money, I got excited about buying stuff for cheap, so bought more than I meant to or needed to. But well you only live once, so why not waste money on books? Or music? Or drugs? Or hot women? Or alcohol? Or cameras? Or film? Or art? Or houses? Or travel? Or food?

I'm not sure who came up with the idea of using elaborately staged scenes to create a still work first, though I know I discovered Jeff Wall years ago (even before studying photography), but I think I'm actually a greater fan of Gregory Crewdson. Still Wall's work is interesting and his catalogue is broader than I realised. And anyway, the book was cheap (I got all three for little more than the cost of Volume I) so I ain't complain.

Much.

Oh, and Dymocks had a sale too, so I bought a couple of books there on the weekend, and I scored a copy of Glenn Busch's Working Men in Devonport last week. Not that I like books or anything.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Remind me next time you are here, and I'll lend you my PDN which has a Gregory Crewdson article. The most amazing lighting setups you've ever seen! Way too complicated to copy even thou they give full instructions. And kinda shuts up those people who say to art works "Aww, I could have done that myself".

microphen said...

yeah nah yeah. i've already seen it eh. there is a certain beauty in taking over a street for a week to set up dozens of lights in order to make a photo of the street at night.

me i'd just rock up with my camera, put the film in and press go, letting whatever happens happen.

not greg. and i think that's one thing i really like about his work. it is exceptionally well planned right down to the last detail - more so than many commercial shoots.