American Prospects
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Book Overview
First published in 1987 to widespread critical acclaim and hailed by People magazine as one of the ten best books of the 1980s, Joel Sternfeld's startling visual chronicle is at once funny and despairing, calmly beautiful and grim. Sternfeld may be America's greatest fineart color photographer, and here his luxuriant landscapes are full of sly surprises and deadpan wit: a renegade elephant lies exhausted on a road; beached whales daintily punctuate a majestic seascape; a fireman buys pumpkins while a house burns behind him. Now published in an exquisite paper-bound edition with a new preface, these pictures carry even more weight than when they were first seen; they have the poignance and resonance of an America uneasy about its past and uncertain of its future.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:081180660X
ISBN13:9780811806602
Release Date:March 1994
Publisher:Chronicle Books
Length:128 Pages
Weight:2.10 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Essential Color
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
This is an essential volume for those looking at color photography of the United States. This fits within the tradition of Eggleston and Shore and is presented in a large, oversized format. Along with Epstein's Recreation and Soth's Sleeping by The Mississippi this is a distinguished collection.
One of the most important photographic works of the 20th century
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
The title of this review suggests that I am exaggerating, but I promise that I am not. This book of photography blew me away the first time I opened it. How had I gone for so long without hearing of Joel Sternfeld? This book is full of large, beautifully printed color photographs of a quality I couldn't have expected. Each image is beautifully thought out and perfectly executed. The photographs are sometimes humorous, sometimes somber, and always carry a visual impact. Stephen Shore is an obvious point of reference; both photographers were working with similar materials right around the same time, both traveling the country capturing their view of America. I find Sternfeld's photographs to be placed on a somewhat grander scale, while Shore's photos suggest a more offhand manner. Both have a permanent place on my bookshelf. I can't recommend this book highly enough, I suggest that anyone interested in serious photography buy it right away.
Rust Never Sleeps
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
What a refreshing twist on the usual coffee table photography book. Sternfeld's photographs of the natural and manmade environment are so interesting. They almost have an old-fashioned hand-colored postcard-feel to them, but the images are often startlingly futuristic. Great contrasts of the ugly and rusting and vacant with beautiful natural landscapes. The publishers did a wonderful job of cleanly presenting the photos to speak for themselves and putting all the verbiage up front.
Joel Sternfeld book American Prospects
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
JOEL IS A GOOD NAME AND THIS IS A FABOULOS WORK.This man is travelling a lot!!!I want only says that J.Sternfeld is able to meet people and discover particulary little object too that can be fundamental for go inside these pictures,he use colour in a cool way too,soft traditional in colours but in meanings is not really traditional expecially if we related his work in the world of landscape's photography.He use landscape like it was reportage.It is a way for put something else inside.That picture could be sometime strong somentime enchanting but always are intresting me.Put something strange in your picture and maybe that landscape could change his own value. I like a lot ciaoooooo
a landmark poetic document recorded and built by a master
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
if you want to know where the comtemporary obsession with large format color "street" work came from, this is it. newer books, by artists like alec soth and other color documentary artists, are excellent, important books, but it must at least be noted that the true groundbreakers were working a generation ago, putting out these kinds of books before it was the accepted trend. and simply put, this work along with shore's 'uncommon places' and eggleston's 'guide', are still, in my opinion, unsurpassed. on top of that, the size and reproduction quality of this book are mind-blowing. i can't imagine any photography fan not loving this book, or any serious student not wanting it (for a decent price, of course, which this actually is with the discount.)
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