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Camilo José Vergara: Tracking Time: Documenting America's Post-Industrial Cities
This catalogue is devoted to the work of New York-based photographer Camilo Vergara (born 1944 in Chile). For over 40 years, Vergara has worked in poverty-stricken areas of American cities, documenting urban change.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published March 22, 2016
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July 13, 2016
Photographs and artist's statement 5 stars. Book design 1 star. Had the design been better this would be a 5 star read.
Vergara's work documenting the decline of America's cities records it in a straightforward yet stunningly beautiful and sad way. Straightforward shooting, no fancy HDR and over saturation, documents the sad state of so many American cities. This book is a selection of shots that shows those changes from 1970 to 2014. Both the landscape and the people have been marginalized by racism, poverty and neglect.
Ironically some newer shots show the gentrification influx which makes the former residents just have to disappear to other places. I see this happening in my own neighborhood- even as I write 2 old homes are being bulldozed to make to room for "upscale townhouses".
As to book design. What on earth was the designer (s) thinking? Tiny, tiny little type set close together on a page left with a huge amount of white space. Very hard to read even with my glasses.
Photos. The full page photos are splendid but so many others are crammed 2 or 4 to a page. It's not like there wasn't room as so many more pages are just left blank. I understand the possible intent of leaving a facing page blank but that use isn't consistent in the book, some pages have photos facing some don't. The chapter layout doesn't need 3 blank or almost blank pages at the beginning of a section then cram 4 shots on one page. It looks pretentious which is at odds with the work itself. The photographs deserve more room so you can really look and absorb the details of the changes Vergara records. Book/graphic design big fail.
A better place to look at the work large
http://www.camilojosevergara.com/
Vergara's work documenting the decline of America's cities records it in a straightforward yet stunningly beautiful and sad way. Straightforward shooting, no fancy HDR and over saturation, documents the sad state of so many American cities. This book is a selection of shots that shows those changes from 1970 to 2014. Both the landscape and the people have been marginalized by racism, poverty and neglect.
Ironically some newer shots show the gentrification influx which makes the former residents just have to disappear to other places. I see this happening in my own neighborhood- even as I write 2 old homes are being bulldozed to make to room for "upscale townhouses".
As to book design. What on earth was the designer (s) thinking? Tiny, tiny little type set close together on a page left with a huge amount of white space. Very hard to read even with my glasses.
Photos. The full page photos are splendid but so many others are crammed 2 or 4 to a page. It's not like there wasn't room as so many more pages are just left blank. I understand the possible intent of leaving a facing page blank but that use isn't consistent in the book, some pages have photos facing some don't. The chapter layout doesn't need 3 blank or almost blank pages at the beginning of a section then cram 4 shots on one page. It looks pretentious which is at odds with the work itself. The photographs deserve more room so you can really look and absorb the details of the changes Vergara records. Book/graphic design big fail.
A better place to look at the work large
http://www.camilojosevergara.com/
Displaying 1 of 1 review