Welcome to my Blog!
I hope to share here my irrepressible thoughts on news, music, books, arts, history, cultural events and such like.
In general these will be items, events and issues which I feel have no place on my website (which focusses on aviation history and my travel photography).

The item immediately below this would be the latest posting.

"Anybody, providing he knows how to be amusing, has the right to talk about himself. - Charles Baudelaire
Esse est percipi (To be is to be perceived)" ¬Bishop George Berkeley

"Not even I understand everything I am" ¬Aurelius Augustinus of Hippo

"I'm only myself in front of my typewriter" ¬Joan Didion (I'd replace 'typewriter' by 'desktop PC'..)

In 2013 I started a series of photo albums on Blurb.com, named '36Exp' (a subject adressed in 36 exposures, a reference to the exposures on most common rolls of 35 mm film: 12, 24 & 36.) back in the day.
The books can be ordered directly from the Blurb.com or Amazon.
www.blurb.com/user/ruudleeuw

CURRENT BLOG

The Black Sea has been a crossroads between Europe and Asia for millennia. Its shores are meeting places of contrasting cultures, religions, and ideologies with just as much potential for serious conflict.

Bert Spiertz followed this -more than four thousand kilometers- long coast through six countries during a number of trips, with Istanbul as the beginning and end point.
Tales from the Black Sea takes the reader from the Bosphorus and Turkish port cities such as Trabzon to Batumi in Georgia, and the fashionable Russian spa town of Sochi. But also to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia and the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Odesa, to the beautiful but endangered water world of the Danube delta and the Bulgarian Riviera...

It turns out that history here is often not over and lives on painfully in the stones, the landscape and in the minds of many people. It is an area where geopolitics, religion, minorities and unprocessed past are pinching.

Olaf Tempelman, foreign editor of the Volkskrant, wrote in an (interesting) essay that is included in the book:"Bert Spiertz put together a beautiful photo book from all the images he took back from his travels along the coasts of the Black Sea".

Spiertz also wrote an interesting explanatory introduction which includes the omission of 200 kms of coast line, that of Abkhazia.
Excellent photography and a valuable document, I suspect, for depicted moments in the region where borders and (ethnic) societies are the most instable, even fluctuating, of our present world.

lecturis.nl/en/product/tales-of-the-black-sea/
www.spiertzfoto.com/
www.1000fotos.org/

The definitive, full-career retrospective of the life and work of Chris Killip (1946-2020), one of the UK's most important and influential post-war documentary photographers.
'I didn't set out to be the photographer of the English de-Industrial Revolution. It happened all around me during the time I was photographing.
Grounded in sustained immersion and participation in the communities he photographed, Chris Killip's keenly observed work chronicled ordinary people's lives in stark, yet sympathetic, detail.
His photographs are recognized as some of the most important visual records of 1980s Britain; as editor of this book Ken Grant reflects, they tell the story of those who 'had history done to them , who felt its malicious disregard and yet, like the photographer with whom they shared so much of their lives, refused to yield or look away.'

Published to coincide with the first full retrospective of Killip's life and work at the Photographers' Gallery (@London), this book, designed by Niall Sweeney & Nigel Truswell at Pony Ltd, presents photographs from each of his major series alongside lesser-known works.
It includes a foreword by Brett Rogers, in-depth essays by Ken Grant tracing Killip's life and career, and texts by Gregory Halpern, Amanda Maddox and Lynsey Hanley.

Further down this page is my report to the exhibition of Killip's Retrospection.

www.bol.com/ - /chris-killip
en.wikipedia.org:_Chris_Killip

EN: Pop Goes the Weasel

POP GOES THE WEASEL (Helen Grace #2) follows DI Helen Grace and her coworkers as they struggle to piece together their personal lives in the wake of EENY MEENY's central case, Helen Grace #1.
I picked this crime novel up from a secondhand store somewhere and I strongly discourage reading #2 without reading #1 first...
POP develops the storyline established in EENY, and you'll be missing out on Helen Grace's required background and her relation to colleague Charlie if you skip the proper order. This was my first dislike: can't properly read no.2 without no.1...

Detective Inspector Helen Grace finds herself pitted against another serial killer, and this killer is even more brutal than the killer in EENY MEENY.
Helen finds herself facing off against enemies on all sides: an anonymous killer somewhere in Southampton, new enemies within the police department, and all too familiar adversaries in the media.

In a "reverse Jack the Ripper" case, a prostitute is killing her customers. Not only is she killing them, but she is torturing them and brutalizing their corpses in ways too imaginatively twisted for me to spoil here.
I should note that in my opinion a good book does not need much blood & gore and as the body count mounted my dislike increased proportionally...
I finished the book, which has a good plot, but the bloody killings did not win Arlidge for me as a crime author.

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last 15 years, specialising in high end drama production. Arlidge has produced a number of prime-time crime serials for ITV In the last five years, and is currently working on a major adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans for the BBC.

crimebythebook.com/ - - - /review-pop-goes-the-weasel-by-mj-arlidge
en.wikipedia.org:_M._J._Arlidge

China's emergence as an economic and cultural giant reigns as a key international story of our time.
In a grand visual tour de force, National Geographic chronicles this astonishing ascent through some of the most eye-opening and extraordinary pictures ever recorded of the enigmatic nation, grasping both past and present.

Exotic China has always attracted great photographers, and its history has yielded unforgettable scenes. Inside China unveils fascinating archival images rarely made public: Luminaries Henri Cartier-Bresson and Marc Riboud portray the old order and the ascendancy of Chairman Mao; Chinese news photographer Li Zhensheng gives startling new insight into the harsh Cultural Revolution.
Today's China, filled with excitement and fraught with challenge, is captured by contemporary photographers including Mark Leong, Paolo Pellegrin, and Mark Henley--who, with privileged access, depict fashionable youth and glamour, the development of mega-industry, and new materialism alongside traditional religion and rural life, revealing the rapidly changing scene in all its complexity.

Other photographers include Charles Ommanney, Merl La Voy, Mark Henley, Raymong Gehman, David Butow, Michael S. Yamashita, Macduff Everton, Burt Glinn, Georg Gerster, Robert Ketchum, Reinhold Messner, Samuel Bollendorff, Fritz Hoffmann, Michael Wolf, Daniele Mattioli, Paul Chesley, Ian Berry, Edward Burtynsky, James Whitlow Delano, Alessandro Digaetano, Sharon Lovell, Reza, Benoit Aquin, Hiroji Kubota, W. Robert Moore, Siukee Maak, Alfred T. Palmer, Robert Capa, Dmitri Kessel, Owen Lattimore, Li Zhensheng Wu Yinxian, Jacquet-Francillon, René Burri, John Dominis, Elliott Erwitt, Guy Le Querrec, Raymond Depardon, Peter Turnley, Kenneth Jarecke, Gilles Sabrié, Paul Lowe, Justin Guariglia, Julia Calfee, Alexa Brunet, Paolo Pellegrin, David Frank, Fritz Hoffmann, Olivier Pin-Fat, Qilai Shen, Alex Majoli, Ian Teh, Tony Law, John Stanmeyer, Greg Girard, Patrica Zachmann, Sebastiao Salgado, Stephane Remael, Nina Berman, Mark Leong, Kevin Lee, Jodi Cobb, Matias Costas, Jeff Jacobson, and Tony Law.
But the photography also includes those by unknown photographers. This book truly packs a massive amount of photographs!

Five renowned experts on China--Jonathan Spence (see my review on his 'The Search for Modern China', MyBlog-2024Q2), James Watt, James MacGregor, Elizabeth Economy, and Minxin Pei--narrate and enrich the story with interesting, informative essays.

China will continue to attract global attention and this fascinating book, an integral part of National Geographic's initiative on China, holds great appeal for photography and history enthusiasts, but also extends to those looking for a deeper cultural and historical perspective of this intriguing nation.

This book is published in Dutch titled 'China', previously I had the English version, 'Inside China'.

books.google.nl/books/Inside_China

Eye-catching photo travel book of a trip through Africa. Fascinating landscapes, animals and especially special people with their different lifestyles.

The author and his wife travelled across Africa for a year in their military style truck.
From Cairo in Egypt, via Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, to Cape Town in South Africa. He photographed the landscapes, the cities, the animals, but especially the people in all their diversity in terms of appearance and culture.
Tribes like the Masaï, Samburu, Mursi and Ndebele.
He also spoke to many of them and in the captions he tells something about their living conditions, which tribe they belong to, what specific characteristics can be seen in their appearance, clothing and jewelry, their history, what you see in the photo and what moves them.
A very beautiful photo book with beautiful portraits and good additional, informative texts, which offers more than most photo books in this genre.

This publication, rich with illustrations and informative essays, was published in collaboration with Oxfam Novib. The book is divided by Introduction + The North + The East + The South, the text is in Dutch.
The last page, In Conclusion, is looking back on this grand adventure: the search for food, crossing borders, circumnavigating bad roads and countrysides, risk management but also how fullfilling this endeavour was. Respect!

About the author: Michael Boyny (b.1963) is a travel and food photographer. His photos appear in various books and magazines and he has already received several awards. His work takes him all over the world.

www.boyny.de

In 1964, Elliott Erwitt spent a week in Cuba as a guest of Fidel Castro. Commissioned by Newsweek, he captured the Cuban president, beloved by the people, together with revolutionary leader Che Guevara in photographs that have become icons.
More than 50 years later - when diplomatic relations with the USA normalised - he returned to Cuba to document both cities and landscapes, but above all the people of this fascinating country.
'Cuba' shows captivating black-and-white photographs including unposed portraits of Castro, images of the breathtaking architecture of the capital Havana or scenes of rural life.
join 'Cuba' on a photographic voyage of discovery, into the heart and soul of the country.
I would love to explore Cuba too, it's been on the list for several decades and while once I came close, I feel I am running out of time..

ELLIOTT ERWITT was born as Elio Romano Erwitz, July 26, 1928 – November 29, 2023).
His journalistic essays and individual images as well as his advertising photographs have been published in magazines worldwide. Erwitt has been a member of the Magnum photo agency since 1953.
He has published numerous books and had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Kunsthaus Zürich, among others.

Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist and critic HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. has been instrumental in establishing several academic institutions. He has authored or co-authored 21 books and produced 15 documentary films and series, including the groundbreaking genealogy series Finding Your Roots for the US television network PBS.

www.teneues.com/en/book/cuba
en.wikipedia.org:_Elliott_Erwitt

A visit to FOAM but rather to warm myself from the bitter cold wind outside than for my interest in Viviane Sassen and Paul Huf. Still, there's always something that catches the eye.
Sassen's cutouts and compilations ('Phosphor: Art & Fashion') was too weird for me though some of her fashion photography did appeal to me.
Paul Huf's work was too posed and static for my taste, in my formative years (concerning photography) I was more interested in David Bailey. But I came across some of his work for KLM, a big client of his, and a close look was a must considering my background.

Viviane Sassen (b. 1972-) is a Dutch artist living in Amsterdam.
She is a photographer who works in both the fashion and fine art world. She is known for her use of geometric shapes, often abstractions of bodies.
She has been widely published and exhibited. She was included in the 2011 New Photography exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.
And she has created campaigns for Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, and Louis Vuitton, among others. Sassen has won the Dutch Prix de Rome (2007) and the Infinity Award from International Center of Photography.

Paul Huf (b.14Mar1924 – d.09Jan2002) was a Dutch photographer.
For years he was 'the figurehead' of Dutch photography. Huf started in 1946 as a photographer with the theatre company Comedia. He made staged studio images, glamour portraits, advertising campaigns and glossy fashion reports.
In the 1950s, Huf became known for portraying Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. Paul Huf won a gold medal at the Venice Biennales of 1957 and 1965.
Since 2007, Foam has been organising the Paul Huf Award, a prize that is awarded to a young, talented photographer under the age of 35. The award was at one time known as the KLM Paul Huf Award.

en.wikipedia.org:_Viviane_Sassen
NL.wikipedia.org:_Paul_Huf_(fotograaf) (NL)

Eddy van Wessel (b. 14Mar1965 in Huizen) is a Dutch photographer. He works as a photographer in conflict and disaster areas. His photos have been published internationally in magazines such as Stern, Paris Match, LeMonde2 and The Washington Post Magazine.
In recent years he also appeared repeatedly on telly, on talk programs, reporting on war areas.

Since 1992 he has been an independent photographer who works a lot for the daily newspaper Trouw and Vrij Nederland.
In the early years, he worked a lot for Doctors Without Borders. Between 1994 and 2004 he followed the wars in Chechnya. He self-published the book 'The Edge of Civilization' with an overview of his photos from a period of 18 years.

Van Wessel won repeatedly the Dutch photojournalism award the 'Silver Camera' for a photo documentaries in the Middle East and Ukraine.

NL.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_van_Wessel

'Where two worlds meet'
The English publication was China and the West (2015)

Should we in Europe be afraid of China, with its increasing global power in both economic and political spheres? Or can a bond of trust grow between Europe and China, despite all the political and cultural differences?
With that dilemma as a starting point, Fokke Obbema travels through Europe and China.
He talks to numerous entrepreneurs, students, politicians and experts and visits the places where the interaction between Chinese and Europeans is in full swing. He makes it clear how mutual feelings of superiority affect mutual relationships.
In a personal and accessible style, he shows many facets of this.
This book teaches us to understand, respect even, not only China, but also the consequences of globalization.
It also encourages reflection on Europe's future role in the world.

Indication of chapters and their subjects: I. History & media + II. Globalization + III. Politics (norms and values).

In spite of being published in 2013 and much has happened since then (e.g. Covid-19 pandemic, Russia invading Ukraine in 2014 and 2022), the book is still relevant in its analyses and attitude towards China.
In the back of the book is a grand list of literature, consulted for writing this book (including books by Henk Schulte Nordholt of whom I have read several books on China). Authors such as Stefan Landsberger, Erik Izraelewicz, Luo Lingyan and Tilman Spengler may provide me with more interesting reading on China.
There's also a helpful Register to consult the content.

Fokke Obbema works (worked?) at the Dutch daily De Volkskrant, where he was chief of the economics editor and correspondent for France. As a foreign editor, he wrote about both China and Europe and is a commentator (columnist?) for the newspaper.
The book was published in Dutch and English.
later on he focused on other subjects for the newspaper. His new book 'The meaning of life' was to be published in 2019.

NL.wikipedia.org:_Fokke_Obbema

LFI celebrates its 75th birthday with this jubilee issue, 'LFI 75'.
Exploring the most captivating stories (a selection must be hard to make, even in such a bumper issue of 130 pages) from the past decades of LFI on a photographic journey.
Also in the magazine, inspiring young talents (one shouldn't ignore the future) and their wishes for the future as well, inevitable, true Leica legends with their most iconic images to inspire us all.
In addition, the tools of an artist: exciting special editions and curiosities from the world of Leica.

The winners of the 2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Award are Davide Monteleone in the Main category and Maria Guţu as LOBA Newcomer. They were announced on the evening of October 10, at Leica headquarters.
That same evening also saw the opening of the exhibition of the 44th edition of the LOBA, at the Ernst Leitz Museum Wetzlar, which presents the winning series as well as the other ten shortlisted series.

Born in Italy in 1974 and currently based in Switzerland, it was Davide Monteleone and his Critical Minerals - Geography of Energy series that convinced the jury. Using the examples of copper, lithium and cobalt extraction in Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia, he questions the complex geopolitical, social and ecological consequences of today’s international energy industry.

lfi-online.de/en/stories/lfi-special-loba-2024
www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com

Jackson Brodie returns in another masterfully, if somewhat confusingly constructed, thriller from Kate Atkinson's pen. I felt pleased because I liked her books with Jackson Brodie as the protagonist better than some of her other books.
I like Atkinson's wry humor and there's plenty of that in the first part of the book.

The narrative starts with an invitation to participate in a Murder Mystery Weekend in the '..atmospheric surroundings of Rook Hall, a country house hotel located within Burton Makepeace House,' a stately home'.
The hotel is an initiative of one of Lady Milton's sons, who lives in the crumbling country house and Rook Hall is in need of growing publicity and guests.

There's a long road to the actual Murder Mystery which I enjoyed best in fact, because I enjoyed Atkinson's writing best. Jackson Brodie is invited by Ian and Hazel, siblings, to discuss a missing (stolen?) painting owned by the recently deceased Dorothy Padgett who lived in The Willows.
At the same time the live-in-carer of Dorothy, one Melanie Hope, disappeared, went up in smoke in fact, and her identity remains in doubt.
Brodie suspects the provenance (and value) of the painting, Lady with a Weasel, may be questionable as that would clarify why Ian and Hazel don't want to involve the police. Maybe the painting was a gift by Dorothy of which they were not informed?

The 2nd chapter introduces Lady Milton, who lives at Burton Makepeace which is worse for wear. She finds her charities, coffee & tea routines, her (grand)childen somewhat tiring but she enjoys the care by her live-in-carer Sophie.
Her circumstance is expanded upon, a.o. the death of her husband (keeled over one day in his mushroom soup, she doesn't mourn his passing), the staff, the socalled 'Rookery' (the East Wing) where no one had lived fo rin decades and was modernized into a hotel by her son Piers to Lady Milton's dislike.
The main house and the West Wing were open to visitors on most days, the family huddled in the remaining rooms.
The staff includes a cook and a footman (as Lady Milton insists on calling him). Meals get more simple by the day, an unfortunate circumstance, but appearnaces are important to her.
Then a Turner painting is missing and Lady Milton forst suspects her son has sold this for funding, but he denies this. They also find that the live-in-carer Sophie has gone up in smoke too...
This has DC Reggie Chase appearing on the scene.

We see the introduction of a vicar called Simon Cate. The nearby church is so small that he also takes care of a few other small churches with similar congregations. Later on in the book he finds he has lost the ability to speak, a rather unfortunate thing for his sermons.
Another person is ex/ Army veteran (and invalid) of Helmond, Major Benedict 'Ben' Jennings. He lives with his sister and her husband while recovering from PTSD.
Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase cross roads in their investigations. Their humour is somewhat strained, the humour and exchanges are fun to read.

Fast forward: a heavy snow storm is approaching and a limited number of the invited guests (who all paid UKL 2.500 for a weekend of Murder Mystery, luxury stays and subsequent elaborate meals - things Burton Makepeace cannot live up to) check in.
Jackson Brodie rescues Reggie who got stranded in the snow and they retire to the nearby estate, where they join the guests in the Murder Mystery. This where I find things getting muddled and less to be enjoyed in Atkinson's writing.
There also appears an escaped convicted on the scene, an actual murderer brandishing a shotgun. And Sophie (Beatrice?) reappears among the people trampling around the many rooms and corridors of Burton Makepeace.
Nanny is killed by falling (or pushed?) from the stairs and is put in cold storage in the cellars. There are people lying around murdered, but they seem mostly actors. Simon gets a heart attack in the manor house.
Sophie has returned to Burton Makepeace to reclaim the painting for she found it removed from her safe place in Simon's church. Reggie is getting feelings for Major Ben. Jackson Brodie reveals more details about the missing paintings and also a codicil to Dorothy's will, which was possibly also chased by Ian and Hazel.

So the last 3rd of the book I found very confusing and very hard to remain on the trail of conspiracies and revelations. So def'ly not her best Brodie thriller.

www.kateatkinson.co.uk/books/death-at-the-sign-of-the-rook
en.wikipedia.org:_Kate_Atkinson_(writer)

Last september I saw a wish fulfilled with a visit to Arles Photo 2024, a wish of many years.
The visit is described on my Les Rencontres d'Arles, meetings of photography work and photographers and various themes.
The nature of this grand photo event was more complex than I imagined... And unfortunately it only became clearer for me by reading this sizable catalogue (no page numbers).

First I visited the exhibtion of work by Mary Ellen Mark, afterwards I found this was the only retrospective exhibition and most of the other venues had multiple photographers with work on display. I had a map to walk around with, but this led not to themes and some venues had been closed by the time of my visit. Confused by the event I decided to cut my visit to Arles from the intended 3 days to 2 days and use the 3rd day for a trip in the surrounding region.

This event is a cooperation of international groups, photographers & curators from all over the world as well as influential sponsors including the French Ministère de la Culture and Région Sud - Provence Arles Côte d'Azur.
Themes included 'Tremors & Turmoil - capturing he pulse of the world' (which included the Mary Ellen Mark exhibition, which was indeed impressive, unfortunately no catalogue available), 'Spirits ('Yokai') - At the surface of reality', 'Traces - memories of light' (which included an impressive exhibition by Sophie Calle titled 'Neither Give Nor Throw Away'), 'In Parallel - towards new forms and new narratives', 'Rereadings - Revisiting Photography', 'Emergences - Searching and uncovering tomorrow's talents'.

Among the 'Associated Arles' exhibitions I missed the 'Lee Friedlander Framed by Joel Coen' exhibition. An oversight I regret very much, but largely due to the fact I was walking around blind, without a clear design what to go and see.

It was only late in the 2nd day that I managed to obtain the catalogue in English, in the Actes Sud bookshop (and published by them). The bookshop at the Place de la République dedicated to the Arles Photo event did not have any (!) books in English.
Books in English in French bookshops are as rare as hen's teeth... In the single bookshop dedicated to photobooks (Actes Sud also has a section with a large number of photobooks) I was told that the French government offers free postage if (photo)books are (only) in French (probably even excluding English as a second language, but that is my theory) as a way of promoting the French language... Duh!!!

I got the catalogue too late to fully grasp the Arles Photo event but will come better prepared for another Les Rencontres d'Arles, if that may come about. For now the catalogue has much information to study for many months ahead.

Wikipedia:
The Rencontres d'Arles (formerly called Rencontres internationales de la photographie d'Arles) is an annual summer photography festival founded in 1970 by the Arles photographer Lucien Clergue, the writer Michel Tournier and the historian Jean-Maurice Rouquette.
The Rencontres d'Arles has an international reputation for showing material that has never been seen by the public before. In 2015, the festival welcomed 93,000 visitors; in 2016, the 100,000 visitor mark was reached.
Specially designed exhibitions, often organised in collaboration with French and foreign museums and institutions, take place in various historic sites.
Some venues, such as 12th-century chapels or 19th-century industrial buildings, are open to the public throughout the festival.

my Les Rencontres d'Arles
www.rencontres-arles.com
en.wikipedia.org:_Rencontres_d'Arles

I am a fan of Peter van Straaten's work, ever since I read his 'Father & son' series as well as 'Agnes'.
In collaboration with the Persmuseum (@Amsterdam), the exhibition Peter van Straaten & Jo Spier: Virtuoso Draughtsmen of Dutch Life showed work by these well-known draughtsmen, Peter van Straaten (1935) and Jo Spier (1900-1978).
This exhibition ran from 17Mar12 to 17June12 in the Stedelijk Museum Zutphen.
I came across this booklet again when I had to move a bookcase and its content went through my hands while moving the books temporarily to anoter room. It's thin, only 45 pages, and easily overlooked.

On 31Mar12, the Dutch daily Het Parool published a cartoon of Peter van Straaten for the last time.
After 54 years (!), he is calling it a day.
His first drawing was published in this newspaper on 26 July 1958.
He indicated in that newspaper that he could no longer cope with the daily pressure. Not surprising, of course, as the cartoonist is now 76 years old. He did continue to write one piece a week for NRC Handelsblad as well as compiled political prints for Vrij Nederland.
In this booklet we learn how Van Straaten was inspired by Jo Spier.

Joseph Eduard Adolf Spier (b.26Jun1900 – d.21May1978) was a popular Dutch artist and illustrator; he
was born in Zutphen, the Netherlands.
From 1924 to 1939 Jo Spier worked for the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf where he created humorous illustrations and cartoons about everyday life. He also worked as a courtroom sketch artist and theater review artist for them.
During World War II his subject matter became more political and he was arrested for his satirical depiction of Hitler. On 21 April 1943 Spier was transferred to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, where he was held with his family until the end of the war.
During his internment in Theresienstadt, Spier also cooperated with the Germans by assisting with the film 'Theresienstadt, ein Dokumentarfilm aus dem jüdischen Siedlungsgebied'.
Jo Spier moved to the United States in 1951 with his family and continued to work until the end of his life. Spier died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on 21 May 1978.

Peter van Straaten (Arnhem, b.25Mar1935 – d.08Dec2016) was a Dutch cartoonist and comics artist.
He is best known for his political cartoons as well as his satirical observations of everyday people. He also had a newspaper comic strip Vader & Zoon, which ran in Het Parool for almost two decades.

en.wikipedia.org:_Jo_Spier
en.wikipedia.org:_Peter_van_Straaten

Yesterday visited this event in Zutphen, browsing for secondhand books.

Antiquarian bookshop Mooi Exemplaar organized the annual Zutphen Book Fair in one of the most beautiful concert halls in the Netherlands: the Buitensociëteit, Zutphen.

Over 40 booksellers offered a wide range of neat second-hand (and some new) books: children's books, sagas and legends, regionalia, literature, history, cookbooks, anthroposophical books, philosophy, fairy tale books, esotericism and architecture.

I came away with two (photo)books on China plus a crime novel by M.J. Aldridge, the wife found 2 books to her liking. Pleased with this score we retired.

From Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 November 2024, the Rietveld Pavilion in Amersfoort is hosting the
Photo Books Festival.
For 4 days, the pavilion in Amersfoort will be entirely dedicated to photo books, photography and the stories behind the lens.
This enjoyable event is the place for lovers of photography, books and art to come together and enjoy an inspiring program.I came away with 2 fine books, it was hard to make a choice.
It isn't yet a regular tradition here, but I hope the sales will convince them to make it a yearly event.

Market, exhibition, interviews and signing sessions with drinks and music..
My photos show the exhibition of photos from the books to be purchased. These prints are for sale 'off the wall'.
On Saturday and (when I was there) Sunday there is a continuous program with interviews with photographers, in which they share their vision, inspiration and working method.
I attended the interview with Danielle who produced 'AR' which is about a franchise of vintage stores, about the products but also about the people. She had won an award for the design of her book, but I don't much like intricate designs...
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the day will end with signing sessions. I had not realized these signing sessions but I also needed to be elsewhere at the end of the afternoon. Next time..?
During these sessions, visitors can have their favorite photo books signed by the photographers present, while enjoying drinks and music.
This informal closing offers a perfect opportunity to continue the conversation with photographers, fellow visitors and other colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

It was bitterly cold otherwise we would have gone walkabout in the shopping district and returned a while later, but we opted otherwise.

Both authors, Marit Kout & Aad Windig, are active collectors of vintage photographs and slides. From their collection they compiled a photobook numbering 200+ pages with illustrations of buildings and street scenes. Of many it is obvious we're in Amsterdam.
But it's not just a book with pictures, much research has gone in it. First of all the streets and buildings are all identified, with help by others.
Also there are informative chapters: The Perfect Snapshot + Amateur Photography + Amsterdam in the 1950s-1970s - Emerging Tourism + Pioneers of Color Photography + Autochrome + Foto-chroma Eilers + Kodachrome + Literature + Photo Credits + Acknowledgement + Map with the locations + Colophon.

The book is a delight to browse and also nicely informative. It was a birthday gift and am pleased to add it to my bookcase!

wbooks.com

In the book 'No Time – Change now, before the climate changes everything' by Naomi Klein, there's more than 600 pages explaining why the current course of life and coexistence is destructive for the earth.
'Extraction' is the industry that kills Planet Earth and it isn't a painless death for its habitants.
Greed and the attitude that this planet is something to exploit and make money from is like a cancer we should fight.
Now the question of what kind of change is needed to solve the climate issue. Naomi Klein shows where things go wrong but also where there's progress to turn events around and more solutions to be found.

Climate change has been a hotly debated topic for a long time. On one side are environmentalists who are trying to warn the world about the consequences of rising temperatures, while on the other side there are voices that deny these statements.
As in her major bestsellers 'No Logo' and 'The Shock Doctrine', successful author and world-famous activist Naomi Klein succeeds in opening our eyes with astonishing stories, thorough research and merciless analyses: we need to change course. ASAP!
A better environment doesn't just start with you – in a world revolved around capitalism, the underlying social, economic and political ideologies must first change before we can save nature.
Naomi Klein sees climate change as a catalyst for change and a better world.

Naomi Klein (Canadian, b.1970-) is a journalist (The Nation, The Guardian), writer and figurehead of the alterglobalists.
Her first worldwide bestseller was 'No Logo' (2001). In 2009, De Geus published 'The Shock Doctrine'. This critically acclaimed book (again published by De Geus [2014], 524 pages + 80 pages of 'Notes' + and an index in a seperate supplement) sold more than a million copies worldwide. It has been translated into more than 30 languages.
'No Time' was published at the same time in Canada, US, England and The Netherlands.
The Dutch edition was translated by Ineke van den Elskamp, Marianne Gaasbeek, Onno Voorhoeve and Annemie de Vries.

Reading this book 10 years after its publication I 'see' progress but not enough to avert the total destruction and much global suffering.

en.wikipedia.org:_Naomi_Klein

Follett's fans, and I consider myself one of them, will enjoy this jaunt through the days before England was merry. This prequel to The Pillars of the Earth (1989) and subsequent follow ups (which I've all read), goes back to The Dark Ages (Dreng's Ferry is later in the book renamed as King's Bridge).

A Viking raid in 997 C.E. (an alternative term to Anno Domini (AD)) kills Edgar’s one true love, Sungifu, and he vows never to love another—but he’s only 18. He has been trained by his father to be a boat builder but he finds himself qualified for much more than working with wood.
The Vikings destroy the town of Combe and the family's boat building business. His father dies as many others do, destitute Edgar travels with his mother and 2 older brothers to Dreng's Ferry and lead a hand-to-mouth existence.
A French Royal party from Cherbourg travel through their hamlet: Lady Ragna is to be married to Wilwulf, a chieftain in the area. Wilwulf has 2 brothers, one a bishop, and between them they rule the region.
Edgar manages to improve conditions at Dreng's Ferry, also through his contacts with Lady Ragna and a monk, Aldred. The latter has a dispute with bishop Wynstan and he is banned from Shiring to Dreng's Ferry. In spite of sabotage by Wynstan, both Edgar and Aldred grow in importance and spread economic improvements.

The plot at its core is boy meets girl and a whole lot of trouble stands in the way of their happiness. Both are attractive and sympathetic protagonists. Ken Follett is a powerful storyteller who will hold the reader's attention with many historic details (e.g. living conditions, the rule of rulers, scheming & plotting, et cetera).
Enjoy your read, going back to the dark days of the 11th century, even if the 897 pages (my paperback) seems a daunting endeavour.

www.kirkusreviews.com/ - /ken-follett/evening-and-morning/
en.wikipedia.org:_Ken_Follett

This exhibition is a tribute to Chris Killip, a celebrated photographer who remains relatively unknown to the general public.
With more than a hundred works, this retrospective at Fotomuseum Den Haag (The Hague) is the most comprehensive survey of his work to date, including previously unseen photographs.

With his empathetic, but above all honest documentary eye, Chris Killip (UK, 1946-2020) is regarded as one of the most influential post-war British photographers.
He spent long periods in the North of England in the 1970s and 1980s, a turbulent period for this region, with one large factory after another being forced to close, leading to massive unemployment and poverty. Killip captured the impact of economic decline like no other, turning his camera (and his heart) on the working class, the people hardest hit by the economic upheaval.

Christopher David Killip (b.11Jul1946 – d.13Oct2020) was a Manx photographer who worked at Harvard University from 1991 to 2017, as a Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies.
He is known for his black and white images of people and places especially of Tyneside during the 1980s.
He received the Henri Cartier-Bresson Award 'In Flagrante' and was shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.
Killip exhibited all over the world, wrote extensively, appeared on radio and television, and curated many exhibitions.

www.flickr.com/photos/ for more photos of this visit
www.fotomuseumdenhaag.nl/ - /chris-killip-retrospective
en.wikipedia.org:_Chris_Killip

In the run-up to the elections, Marieke de Vries looks back on several major events that dominated the news: the death of George Floyd, the storming of the Capitol, the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump, his arrest, the televised debate between him and Joe Biden on 27Jun2024, the assassination attempt on one and the withdrawal from the race of the other presidential candidate.

Marieke also talks candidly about her all-American family by marriage: hard-working coal miners who have changed from democratic union members to fanatical Trump supporters in the foreseeable future.
Comparing this book with the ones I recently read by Michiel Vos and Charles Groenhuijsen, about the USA, I liked this one best, esspecially because she shares the views by her family in West Virginia (Trump fans!).
The living conditions and their background explain how they migrated from from the Democrats to the Republicans; they share where it went wrong for them for the Democratic Party and explains some of the Presidential 2024 Elections results...

America America offers both a glimpse into the unusual life of a foreign reporter and an insider's look at America in the run-up to the presidential election on 05Nov2024.
Moreover, this book shows the person behind the liberal and conservative voters in the deeply divided land of unlimited possibilities.

Marieke de Vries (b. 05Jul1972-) is a Dutch journalist. She currently works as a reporter in the United States for the NOS News.
During her studies, she did an internship at the KRO and at Stads-TV Rotterdam, the predecessor of RTV Rijnmond.
After completing her education in 1996, she started working as a freelancer at Stads-TV Rotterdam and later joined SBS Productions. Here she worked as a reporter for Hart van Nederland.
Since 2004, De Vries has been associated with the NOS, where she works as a reporter for the NOS News. Her specialty was reporting on the Royal Family of The Netherlands at first.
In the summer of 2012, De Vries became a correspondent in China, succeeding Wouter Zwart. In November 2018, De Vries succeeded Zwart again on 01Apr2019, this time as correspondent in the United States.
A line in the last chapter in her book Amerika Amerika suggests she is in het last year as a USA correspondent for the NOS.

libris.nl/ - /marieke-de-vries/amerika-amerika/ (NL)
NL.wikipedia.org:_Marieke_de_Vries (NL)

De Verdeelde Staten van America - Charles Groenhuijsen
Atlas Contact, 2024

America will elect another president in 2024... In fact today is the last day to cast the votes: Kamala Harris or Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States!
In his new book The Divided States of America, Charles Groenhuijsen explains how so-called culture wars play a role in the American political debate. On the one hand, the author sees a right-wing revolution of the Republicans and Donald Trump, with a flight to extremism.
And on the other hand, a revolution of the young generation: it advocates more tolerance and less influence of religion.

Groenhuijsen was never my favourite expert on the USA, but in this book (the first I've read by him) he clearly lists the facts and and analyses the shifts in cultures, identities and emotions increasingly playing a role in the US (as well as world wide).
Every chapter ends with a list of statistics in percentages, good and bad.

Over the past 50 years, we have seen a whole series of 'Culture Wars', a battle of directions in which conservatives try to restore traditional values and norms from the past. Invariable in all this political turmoil is the fierce and emotional polarization between Republicans and Democrats.

And there is another constant: it is not about cold facts, but mainly about heated ideologies.
A recurring phenomenon is the cultivation of fear of an imaginary danger...
In the 1950s, US voters fell open-eyed into the political trap of right-wing talkers with their doomsday scenarios about communist infiltrators, the unstoppable advance of the Soviet Union and the imminent demise of the Free West. The Vietnam War was intended to counter the advance of communism. Did it really threaten America? No, not really. These days we have the fear (in the US) "from within..".

Groenhuijsen was initially a general reporter at the Dutch tv (NOS), but in 1986 he left for the United States where he became America correspondent for the NOS News.
He returned in 1989 to The Netherlands and worked as a presenter and programme maker for 'NOS-Laat' (together with Maartje van Weegen) and NOVA.
Groenhuijsen returned to the United States in 1996. As a freelance journalist, he was 'America correspondent' for the NOS Journaal, NOVA, Vrij Nederland and Intermediair. On 1 February 2005 he was succeeded as NOS correspondent by Wouter Kurpershoek.
In the course of the 2010s, Groenhuijzen regularly appeared as a commentator on Dutch talk shows. From the beginning of 2020 to June 2024, he was, together with the journalist Carrie ten Napel, the weekly host of the new talk show Op1 at the NPO on Wednesdays.
In addition, Groenhuijsen has started his own podcast about America and positive thinking.

historiek.net/de-verdeelde-staten-van-amerika (NL)
NL.wikipedia.org:_Charles_Groenhuijsen

Having photographed some of the most luxurious homes in the world, this renowned photographer,
Craig Fraser has found true inspiration in some of the poorest dwellings in the world...
Using only available light, Fraser left the interiors unstyled to capture their ‘true beauty’.
This book celebrates a decorating spirit that renews and colours South Africa’s urban landscape.

At first glance, it has something uncomfortable and voyeuristic, a coffee table book with interiors from the slums of South Africa. And that is reinforced by the title: Shack chic. As the preface says: 'The concepts of chic and shack are so far apart that the idea that they could coincide is almost shocking.'
But Shack chic is an inspiring, respectful and beautiful book.
No matter how few resources they have, the residents have made something of their houses. And they are, judging by the photos and quotes, proud of it.
Walls are decorated with packaging materials - the pink wall in the pictured photo consists of wrappers for cans of dog food - scarce objects are arranged and displayed with care, the bright colors precisely matched.

Some of the most well-known improvised townships in Cape Town are Marconi Beam, Barcelona, KTC, Phola Park/Waterfront, Sweet Home, Tambo Square, Boys Town, Brown's Farm, Joe Slovo Park, New Rest, Vietnam, Lwandle, Oostenberg, Happy Valley, Spandau, Bermuda, Victoria Myenge and Trevor Vilakazi...
The shantytowns date from the goldrush at the start of the 20th century, when migrant workers found shelter in camps. Later people looking for work in the cities joined, esspecially around Gauteng and Johannesburg.
Ca. 1950 South Africa numbered twenty shantytowns. People were looking for work in the cities, in the fast growing industries, wineries and fisheries.
Opposition worked against these shantytowns, sometimes leading to destruction and removal, for they also spread diseases (e.g. cholera) but these 'townships' grew in numbers and in size.
By 1960 the population of the townships had doubled. Unemployment grew too.
By the mid-1980s the government took a less opposing attitude and thus the townships increased further and by 1994 the townships were inundated by migrant workers from rural areas to seek their fortune in the cities with help of their relatives or friends.

Photographer Craig Fraser has an impressive background in photojournalism, hard news and commercial interiors. His work has appeared in ELLE Decoration UK and France, Swedish Gourmet and Habitat, as well as local publications like House and Leisure, Femina and Fair Lady.
While one might wonder why someone would depart from such a résumé, there came a time when Craig wanted to explore more authentic cultural pursuits. Even though his work has paired him with some of the world’s top designers and stylists, his heart remains rooted in Africa.
As managing director of Quivertree Publications, Craig now focuses on showcasing niche subjects with a uniquely South African character. He is passionate about local design and culture and delights in the endless source of inspiration right on his doorstep!

It's a wonderful book full of hope, strong colours and welcoming smiles!
Size 230 x 230 mm • Pages 192

www.quivertreepublications.com/books/shack-chic/
www.volkskrant.nl/voorpagina/de-schoonheid-van-armoede~NL

The work of Ed van der Elsken, Bertien van Manen, Ata Kandó, Maya Pejic and dozens of other documentary photographers depict a unique look at a turbulent period of 20 years, in which the city of Amsterdam underwent radical changes.

How the lives of ordinary people of Amsterdam ('Amsterdammers') slowly changed. And how the economic crisis and urban renewal created a new Amsterdam. From Ajax winning the European Cup to the Nieuwmarkt riots, the construction of the Bijlmer, squatters, punks and the inauguration of Queen Beatrix and the Coronation riots.
Really enjoyed this, but a pity there was no catalogue !

www.amsterdam.nl/ - /amsterdam-city-archives/

BredaPhoto Festival 'JOURNEYS' ran 13Sept. - 03Nov2024.
The journey as a metaphor for life-changing development. Whether it is a psychological quest for one’s own identity and a meaningful life, or an intensely physical journey in search of freedom and simply survival, it is these and other stories that fill out the eleventh edition of BredaPhoto.

It was probably 12-14 years ago I first visited it and this was my 2nd visit to this photo event. It was a disappointing experience this time... It was smaller in total exhibitions, exhibitions seemed more modest too. The map was confusing as it also mentioned café and restaurants while they had nothing to do with photographs on display. Trying to make it seem bigger than it actually was?
I thought I could also go by the 'BredaPhoto' flags at shops but soon found out these shops had nothing to do with photos on display. It did look festive but obscured the larger flags marking entrances.
I first went for 'BredaPhoto Office' on Google Maps, thinking I could buy tickets there and obtain a map, but there was no one there, nobody answered the bell.
There was no central bookstore to buy something of the artists on display, there was one on our previous visit.
There were 2 displays at 't Zoet, recommended by 2 exhibitions but these weren't signposted. When I asked passers by while driving around in our car, they confirmed one can't get to them by car (!) and where one should park the car isn't signposted either... "Yes, we noticed a lot of people searching.."
We'd driven the route they described but hadn't seen a single BredaPhoto poster.
There's no place to park the car at 't Zoet Park, we drove as far as we could, but saw no poster or signs.
Disgusted we turned around and headed home.
I doubt if I ever will visit this event again: it is badly organized and had not a single 'pulling name'... It is nowhere as good as the photo exhibitions organized at one time at Naarden-Vesting

bredaphoto.nl/festival/bredaphoto-festival-2024/
www.flickr.com/photos/

Ad van Denderen visited Israel and the occupied territories several times, and succeeded in gaining access to factions which have influenced both Israeli and Palestinian progress in the peace process.
This access enabled Van Denderen to make a visual report about a world in which people are confronted with ‘the situation’ every day of their lives. Through being present at crucial moments in the conflct, Van Denderen has been able to record them.
Peace in the Holy Land documents political developments in a part of the world which constantly begs our attention. At the same time, it shows us how people manage to survive under explosive
circumstances.

Ad van Denderen has been following daily life in Israel and the Palestinian territories with his camera for almost 25 years. Initially, he photographed in black and white, in a classic, direct reportage style. About 15 years ago, black and white gave way to colour and since then Van Denderen has used a monumental, more detached style of photography.
This book, published in 1997 by De Geus, is entirely in B&W. It has 3 fine essays by Joop van Tijn, Amos Oz and Ehud Ya'ari. Such a pity that the hope they expressed for Israel and Palestina being on the road to peace was hammered into the ground this year..

'Peace in the Holy Land' is the result of a project that began in 1993, when he had the opportunity to spend a year photographing in Israel and the Palestinian territories. In the end, it turned out to be four years because the situation was difficult to visualize.
Van Denderen saw that every party in the conflict was right somewhere. That made choosing a position a perilous business.
In 1966, Van Denderen was in Israel for the first time, when he spent 6 months in a small agricultural cooperative. There he witnessed a thriving community where Jews and Arabs worked the land together. The future was viewed with optimism..
The Six-Day War (5-10 June 1967) shattered that idyllic and idealistic image.
When Van Denderen returned in 1993, he found a society where solidarity was hard to find. In 'Peace in the Holy Land', the focus was on the daily lives of the Palestinians and, to a lesser extent, the settlers.
The photos offer a counterbalance to press photos that give an all too one-sided picture of the conflict. Since this book published in 1997, Ad van Denderen continued going back on a regular basis.

More of his work on a recent retrospective (where I bought this book) further down this page.

www.advandenderen.nl
fotoexpositie.nl/exposities/jerusalem_stone (2017)

'The Age of Kali' has been hidden for many years in my backlog of books to read: I've bought it secondhand in Bangkok (has a stamp in it of DasaBookCafe.com Bangkok) and goes well with my interest in India (which I visited in 2009 - for Bangkok and India see my Travel Index page).

'The Age of Kali' is a 1998 travel book by William Dalrymple. The book's theme is trouble in the Indian subcontinent and the Hindu belief in a time called the Kali Yuga when many problems will come to exist in the world.
The book gives an overview of many of the top controversies in the region at the time of publication, including interviews with players in those events. In fact it is a collection of essays collected through almost a decade of travel around the Indian subcontinent.

William Dalrymple has proved himself to be one of the most perceptive and enjoyable travel writers of the 1990s.
His first book, 'In Xanadu', became an instant backpacker's classic, winning a stream of literary prizes. 'City of Djinns' and 'From the Holy Mountain' soon followed, to universal critical praise. Yet it is India that Dalrymple continues to return to in his travels, and his 4th book, 'The Age of Kali', has a more reflective character.
The result of 10 year's living and traveling throughout the Indian subcontinent, 'The Age of Kal'i emerges from Dalrymple's uneasy sense that the region is slipping into the most fearsome of all epochs in ancient Hindu cosmology: "the Kali Yug, the Age of Kali, the lowest possible throw, an epoch of strife, corruption, darkness, and disintegration."

The scope of the book is particularly impressive, from the vivid opening chapters portraying the lawless caste violence of Bihar, to interviews with the drug barons on the North-West Frontier, and Dalrymple's extraordinary encounter with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.
Some of the most fascinating sections of the book are Dalrymple's interviews with Imran Khan and Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan.

William Benedict Hamilton-Dalrymple CBE FRAS FRSL FRGS FRSE FRHistS (b.20Mar1965 -) is an India-based Scottish historian and art historian, as well as a curator, broadcaster and critic.
He is also one of the co-founders and co-directors of the world's largest writers' festival, the annual Jaipur Literature Festival.

It won't be the last book I'll read by him! It's the best travel writing I've enjoyed for many years!

en.wikipedia.org:_The_Age_of_Kali
www.goodreads.com/ - / The_Age_of_Kali
en.wikipedia.org:_William_Dalrymple

I did a double feature, after the Ad van Denderen visit I went to the nearby National Military Museum in Park Soesterberg (former air base where I have some history too - Soesterberg Remembered) for Eddy van Wessel's humongous display of some of his Ukraine photos.

Eddy: "It's more than an exhibition. I want to take people on a trip to Ukraine."
What does it mean to live in a war zone? To fight at the front? To be forced to leave loved one behind whilst you flee to a safe country, such as The Netherlands?
'War Stories | Ukraine Up Close' shows the lives of servicemen and civilians seperated from each other, the immense destruction and suffering in Ukraine.
Eddy: "I hope that people will mentally travel to Ukraine and start thinking what the fuck is happening there? And that eventually they will come to understand how a war impacts someone!"

Carla Marcus of the National Military Museum says this exhibit is unique to the museum.
"Before this, we only had photo exhibitions that had to do with the museum or with military history.
This is the first time that we organize a different exhibition. Given the situation in the world, we think this is important."

Eddy van Wessel (b,14Mar1965 -) is a Dutch photographer. He works as a photographer in conflict and disaster areas.
His photographs have been published internationally in magazines such as Stern, Paris Match,
LeMonde2 and The Washington Post Magazine.
Since 1992 he has been an independent photographer who often works for the (Dutch) daily newspapers Trouw and Vrij Nederland. In the early years, he worked a lot for Médecins Sans Frontières.
Between 1994 and 2004 he followed the wars in Chechnya, followed by years in the Middle East (e.g. Iraq).
Since the past few years he visited Ukraine many times to photograph the Russian invasion.
He was awarded the Silver Camera in The Netherlands four times (2012, 2015, 2019, 2022) for his war photography.

NL.wikipedia.org:_Eddy_van_Wessel
www.nmm.nl/en/

There was recently a retrospective exhibition in Rotterdam's Fotomuseum ('En Route'; MyBlog-2024Q1) on Ad van Denderen's photography and his many travels since 1960s. But I read about another Retrospective of his work and on certain dates he would do a talk!
And I lived nearby from the age of 10 until 20 but had never visited Slot Zeist (actually still haven't been inside the actual 'castle').
I had to go and yesterday I found the talk was even better than I'd expected.

We talked a little before he started his talk (I was early!) as I feared he would do a talk from a corner in the room, a brief biography and answer questions. But found he walked his audience through the photos on display, talking about where / when / why, while sometimes detailing some 'adventurous' background details. He didn't seem a person easily fazed.
And he answered questions, as for some of the visitors the world 20+ years ago was very different from now.

Besides his social documentary projects and assignments his career developed through abstract projects such as 'Stone' (about the conflict between Israel and Palestina) and 'Blue on Blue'.
His last major assignment and travel is some 8 years behind him now, at present he's busy transferring his archive (ca. 100.000 photos he said, a major project sorting and doing administration) to the Dutch Fotomuseum (Rotterdam) and he's just finished with an exhibition in France and soon starts work on an exhibition in South Africa.

It was a new experience for me to witness a photographer speak in person about his work and I found it very impressive!

NL.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_van_Denderen (NL)

Alex Webb is an American photographer who had exhibitions at museums worldwide. He has been member of Magnum Photos since 1979 and has published numerous photobooks.
Alex Webb is known for his vibrant colour photographs, which this book is full of. I would like to add that his photography is complex, involving multiple background with the foreground out of focus or black silhouettes. It is best to look at the photographs in detail, there can be hidden gems...

Even though Webb was a part of the second generation of American photographers working in colour, he is said to be a pioneer of American color photography.

The Suffering of Light is a photography book (115 photos!) published by Thames & Hudson (2021), but is actually a reprint from Aperture's 2011 publication (reprints 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020).
It is the first comprehensive monograph charting the career of this acclaimed American photographer, gathering some of his most iconic colour images he had been taking since 1978.
If I would define his work in four words it would be intense colors and brilliant, often complex composition. Amazing how he manages to see and create layers in his compositions!

The book presents street photography and photojournalism in a form of fine art.
What is interesting about this book is that it is organised chronologically. It is the only book that focuses on Webb’s work chronologically and not thematically. His other books focus on places he photographed.
I hope to be able to collect more of his work (but I wouldn't mind if those books are of smaller size, for this Thames & Hudson edition is almost too grand!).

Alex Webb (b.05May1952 -) is a photographer who makes vibrant and complex color photographs.
He has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1979.
Webb's books include Hot Light/Half-Made Worlds (1986), Under a Grudging Sun (1989), From The Sunshine State (1996), Amazon (1997), Crossings (2003), Istanbul (2007), The Suffering of Light (2011), La Calle (2016), as well as with photographer Rebecca Norris Webb , his wife and creative partner
—Violet Isle (2009), Memory City (2014), Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb on Street Photography and the Poetic Image (2014), Slant Rhymes (2017), and Brooklyn: The City Within (2019).

Born in San Francisco, Webb was raised in New England. He became interested in photography as a high school student. In 1972 attended the Apeiron Workshops in Millerton,NY, where he met Magnum photographers Bruce Davidson and Charles Harbutt.
Webb went on to study history and literature at Harvard University (graduating in 1974), but also studied photography at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts.
By 1974 he was working as a photojournalist and in 1976 became an associate member of Magnum Photos.

webbnorriswebb.co
aboutphotography.blog/ - - /the-suffering-of-light-by-alex-webb
en.wikipedia.org:_Alex_Webb_(photographer)
On MyBlog-2023Q2 I reviewed the couple's book On Street Photography and the Poetic Image

We visited the fleamarket in the Ontmoetingskerk in Dieren this morning. Had a nice browse. Proceeds
go to the maintenance of the church. This market is held once every 2 years.

The TASCHEN coffee table book 'A Gun for Hire' brings together a selection of Helmut Newton's work for fashion catalogues from the early 1960s to 2003.
I bought it a while ago when visiting the museum in Berlin on his work. I liked the retrospective purpose of this as well as Newton's 'I did it my way' attitude!
I also like the multilingual essays (English, French, German), something the French most of the time don't offer. I was told in a bookshop that bookshops can mail books for free if they are only in French, a governmental sponsorship to promote the French language... A joke, right?!

Helmut Newton did not distinguish compositionally or stylistically between his magazine work and assignments for commercial clients.
He ironically referred to himself as “a gun for hire.” That was also the title of June Newton's legendary book about his commercial photography, which is now (2024) available in a new edition revised by the Helmut Newton Foundation.

Today, German photographer Helmut Newton is remembered as one of fashion photography’s greatest legends. He pushed the boundaries of what makes a fashion photo pop, and elevated the sense of drama in each shot, so much—that many of his photos look like film noir stills.
His famous phrase “gun for hire” has been turned into a photobook. A new edition of his book A Gun For Hire was released with Taschen on February 6 (2023).

Helmut Newton (born Helmut Neustädter; 31Oct1920 – d.23Jan2004) was a German-Australian photographer.
The New York Times described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."
The increasingly oppressive restrictions placed on Jews under the Nuremberg laws, meant that his father lost control of the factory in which he manufactured buttons and buckles. He was briefly interned in
a concentration camp on Kristallnacht, 09Nov1938, which finally compelled the family to leave Germany.
Newton's parents fled to Argentina.
Newton was issued with a passport just after turning 18 and left Germany on 05Dec1938. At Trieste, he boarded the Conte Rosso, along with about 200 others escaping the Nazis, intending to journey to China. After arriving in Singapore, Newton found he was able to remain there, first briefly as a photographer
for the Straits Times and then as a portrait photographer.

www.taschen.com/en/ - /helmut-newton-a-gun-for-hire/
www.forbes.com/helmut-newtons-latest-taschen-book-gun-for-hire
en.wikipedia.org:_Helmut_Newton

One of my purchases recently in Paris, with Le Plac'Art Photo. As yet I had nothing By Leonard Freed in my (photo)book collection and was pleased to run into this retrospective! The essays are only in French, normally I wouldn't buy it but I was keen to have this book!

A fine compiler of still images without words, Leonard Freed uses the "universal language" that photography is for him. In the back is a list with where & when the photo was taken often including a brief caption.
He has selected 170 powerful images on a wide range of subjects, taken over more than 30 years of a career spent travelling to every continent, backpack and camera in hand.
He's been witness of wars and other catastrophes, police action but the important thing is not the 'disaster' that he has made his profession, but "life with all its emotions".

Leonard Freed (b.23Oct1929 – d.29Nov2006) was an American documentary photojournalist and longtime Magnum Photos member.
Freed had wanted to be a painter, but began taking photographs in the Netherlands (!) and discovered a new passion.
He traveled in Europe and Africa before returning to the United States where he attended The New School and studied with Alexey Brodovitch, the art director of Harper's Bazaar.
In 1958 he moved to Amsterdam to photograph its Jewish community. Through the 1960s he continued to work as a freelance photojournalist, traveling widely.
His career blossomed during the American civil rights movement, when he traveled the country with Martin Luther King Jr. in his celebrated march across the U.S. from Alabama to Washington.
In later years, Freed continued photographing in Italy, Turkey, Germany, Lebanon and the U.S. He also shot four films for Japanese, Dutch and Belgian television.

www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/leonard-freed
en.wikipedia.org:_Leonard_Freed

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