Product Description
After two decades in Paris, Jeff Dunas returned to the US in 1993 and set out on the first of many trips crisscrossing the country to photograph scenes representative of the small-town America that he remembered from his youth in the 1960s. His goal was to create an archive of images that recalled that turbulent era. Hardcover, 10.5 x 12.25 in./132 pgs / 117 color…. More >>
#1 by Robin Benson on April 5, 2010 - 12:21 am
A beautiful book of nostalgic Americana from Jeff Dunas. With the 112 photos taken over several trips around America Dunas has captured a past he remembered and wanted to record permanently before it vanished.
What I liked about the book was the careful sequence of the photos, for instance from photo fifty-eight you’ll see a fifties car, 59, a smiling couple sitting on their porch, 60, a man outside a building, 61, part of an auto junkyard, 62, a terrific shot of the Hotel Carlos in Yuma, Arizona. This mixture of people, buildings, signs, autos and almost abstract parts of buildings makes for a really excellent flow of images as you turn over the pages.
For me the best photos are of buildings, they are presented in a very formal way, either front on or a perspective of two sides with the background providing a natural frame. No need for fancy gimmicks because the image content is strong enough to create interest and meaning. In fact nearly all the photos show Dunas has a natural framing instinct for great compositions, which make them seem so right.
I think it is worth commenting on the books production. It is of coffee-table proportions, with excellent design and typography and printed on quality paper which all helps to make the Dunas view of America all the more vibrant and fascinating.
FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click ‘customer images’ under the cover.
Rating: 5 / 5