![]() Like so much of Arbus's work, the photographs are arresting in their oddness, yet compelling in their honesty. This portfolio - environmental portraits of residents of several homes for the mentally retarded - was made between 19, the year Arbus took her own life. This is the final work by one of the greatest photographers of our time - a complicated, tormented woman who documented those on the fringes of society with a dispassionate, yet oddly compassionate eye that never approached voyeurism. Any would make a fine gift for someone who appreciates the intricate art of "writing with light." This year I offer for your consideration a varied collection of books, all superb, all tackling a specific subject and reflecting it with visual eloquence. Good photography books are like fine wine - the best can be expensive but all are well worth it. In addition, serious photography books often must compete with point-of-sale quickies on any number of frivolous topics. They are hellishly expensive to produce and therefore are that much more expensive to buy. ![]() The stiff competition for the book-buyer's buck is all the more pronounced among art books. Sympathy because I know that, in the midst of so many other fine photography books, your clarion voice may seem like a muted peep as you try to get anyone's attention. ![]() Sympathy because I know how difficult it can be to market a book. Sympathy because, as an author myself, I know what it takes to produce a book. EVERY YEAR produces a slew of new photography books - and I offer every one of the authors my sympathy. ![]()
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