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caremail's review
5.0
Does each photo must have a caption to limit it's meaning?
The obscurity or even absurdity generated by the lack of context. All the images are devoid of aesthetic choices, since photography was used as a tool rather than an art practice.
The obscurity or even absurdity generated by the lack of context. All the images are devoid of aesthetic choices, since photography was used as a tool rather than an art practice.
philipcrowther's review
5.0
This book is a collection of photographs scrapped from corporate and government archives of photographs intended to be unbiased records (primarily records of scientific research): all of the photos started out their journey as evidence. Then, they were re-contextualized by Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel as objects worth of aesthetic consideration, changing them into something new. They come alive in this book as art and show an amazing level of poetry and beauty I would not have expected.
I think the thing that is so charming to me about these images is that each photograph on its own, and entirely on accident, is somehow able to achieve aesthetically what many photographers will spend years and years trying to figure out how to do on purpose - little tricks of the frame and the negative/positive space that, if seen over and over again in the work of a single artist, would signify a true mastery of the craft and that, when seen in any single photography, open up the potential of the photograph as a work of poetry. It's hard to articulate just how wonderful some of these little tricks are, or even necessarily what they are, but if anyone reading this is a fan of abstract art, it's that same quality that you'll find in great works of abstract expressionism that differentiate them from the pieces produced in your wine and paint night with your friends - the thing that explains why the canvas you dripped 10 different colors of paint onto at random just doesn't live up to the Pollock that inspired it. There is just something incredible to me about anything found out there in the world that possesses these qualities almost as if out of nowhere - little, magical pieces of existence speaking in the same vaulted vernacular as the great works of art. Every photograph contained in this book falls into that category for me, and together they achieve this kind of step into the metaphysical for me.
Overall, I find this collection absolutely astounding, and I would highly suggest anyone with an interest in art or photography take a gander - (also, and this is a pro tip here: you won't have to actually get the book if you want to see the images, all of them are available for free on Larry Sultan's website - I really only got the physical copy bc I have a pretty intense book buying problem and increasingly poor self-control when it comes to art books.)
I'd say this is tied with Robert Frank's The Americans as my favorite photobook, so definitely check it out if you get a chance (but also definitely don't tell me if you don't like the pics, I will judge you and I'd really prefer to not have to think less of my friends for choosing Falsity.)
I think the thing that is so charming to me about these images is that each photograph on its own, and entirely on accident, is somehow able to achieve aesthetically what many photographers will spend years and years trying to figure out how to do on purpose - little tricks of the frame and the negative/positive space that, if seen over and over again in the work of a single artist, would signify a true mastery of the craft and that, when seen in any single photography, open up the potential of the photograph as a work of poetry. It's hard to articulate just how wonderful some of these little tricks are, or even necessarily what they are, but if anyone reading this is a fan of abstract art, it's that same quality that you'll find in great works of abstract expressionism that differentiate them from the pieces produced in your wine and paint night with your friends - the thing that explains why the canvas you dripped 10 different colors of paint onto at random just doesn't live up to the Pollock that inspired it. There is just something incredible to me about anything found out there in the world that possesses these qualities almost as if out of nowhere - little, magical pieces of existence speaking in the same vaulted vernacular as the great works of art. Every photograph contained in this book falls into that category for me, and together they achieve this kind of step into the metaphysical for me.
Overall, I find this collection absolutely astounding, and I would highly suggest anyone with an interest in art or photography take a gander - (also, and this is a pro tip here: you won't have to actually get the book if you want to see the images, all of them are available for free on Larry Sultan's website - I really only got the physical copy bc I have a pretty intense book buying problem and increasingly poor self-control when it comes to art books.)
I'd say this is tied with Robert Frank's The Americans as my favorite photobook, so definitely check it out if you get a chance (but also definitely don't tell me if you don't like the pics, I will judge you and I'd really prefer to not have to think less of my friends for choosing Falsity.)
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