Join Christoph Bangert, Nancy Baron, Jen Davis, Sarina Finkelstein, Catherine Leutenegger, and Daniel Traub for a signing of their monographs from Kehrer Verlag.
War Porn by Christoph Bangert
As a photographer covering conflicts and natural disasters for international publications, Christoph Bangert is regularly confronted with a dilemma: On the one hand he tries to document events as truthful to his own experience as possible but on the other hand he needs to accommodate several layers of self-censorship. The first layer of self-censorship is located inside of his own brain. Bangert has no recollection at all of taking some of the pictures seen in the book. The second layer of self-censorship is executed by the publications he works for; the third layer is the viewer's. Using his images taken during the past 10 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Gaza, Bangert started an experiment: What would happen if we suppressed our need for self-censorship for once? The result is a raw, intense, mysterious, brutal and at times maybe a shocking and controversial book. It is as highly personal as it is honest in its quest for an alternative view of our world.
The Good Life: Palm Springs by Nancy Baron
"In the time that Palm Springs has been my second home, I've found it to be exactly and nothing like what I expected it to be. Having ridden the waves of economic and cultural trends, the town offers a wide variety of lifestyle choices; not all of which are apparent to the occasional tourist. It is, at once, small-town America and an iconic American resort town. The idea of Palm Springs evokes a well-defined image internationally. These varied definitions are all accurate and, yet, this oasis of layered Americana is often misunderstood. It's easy to dismiss the town as a frivolous playground for whomever one imagines its visitors or residents to be. The truth is, Palm Springs is a brilliant example of the American Dream; springing from nothing out of the desert sand, continually reinventing itself with hope, determination, and the belief that everyone is entitled to The Good Life." Nancy Baron
11 Years by Jen Davis
"In this body of work, I deal with my insecurities about my body image and the direct correlation between self-perception and the way one is perceived by others. Photography is the medium that I use to tell my story through life, an outlet for revealing my thoughts and opinions about the society in which we live. A society that dictates beauty based on ones physical appearance. In my photographs I aim to raise questions regarding beauty, desire, body image, and identity through a focused observation of my personal story." Jen Davis
The New Forty-Niners by Sarina Finkelstein
Shot over four years, The New Forty-Niners documents the new wave of gold prospectors who have rushed to California 160 years after the original Gold Rush of 1849. The tactile and earthy photographs show the gamblers, the adventurers, the desperate, and the young-at-heart in their camps and on claims spread across this magnificently wild landscape. The elemental rugged life of these passionate and obsessive individuals is juxtaposed with gold souvenir shops, bars, and motels celebrating the mining history of The Golden State.
Kodak City by Catherine Leutenegger
Eastman Kodak, the company which pioneered so much in photography from the 1880s through the 1960s, could have owned digital imaging; the very first electronic camera was born in one of Kodak's labs. Instead, they missed that boat, going into a tailspin that resulted in their eventual bankruptcy. Tied to that economic engine, the fortunes of Rochester, New York, the archetypal company town where Kodak had its headquarters, fell as "Big Yellow" collapsed. Catherine Leutenegger's attentive, deadpan studies of Rochester today explore the face of a city once central to photography but now irrelevant and adrift.
North Philadelphia by Daniel Traub
North Philadelphia is a photographic portrait of a neighborhood in prolonged crisis. The book presents a compelling glimpse into an urban area that hovers between decay and possibility, and is emblematic of many such regions across the United States. Growing up in Philadelphia, photographer Daniel Traub came to know this section of the city as a youth while working on an urban renewal art project. Many years later, after spending a decade in China photographing communities at the margins of Chinese society, he returned to North Philadelphia to explore the economic and racial divide in his own country. Made between 2008-2013, North Philadelphia combines images of dilapidated homes, vacant lots, and street corners with portraits of the residents. While it is an unvarnished view of a neglected corner of America, it is also a book imbued with beauty and moments of revelation.
Please note that due to professional obligations, photographer's book signing dates may change without notification. Limit of two signed copies per customer. Pre-orders and reserve orders are not guaranteed but every effort is made to fulfill orders. Books must be purchased from the ICP Store. If purchased before date of event, please bring your receipt. For more information, call 212.857.9725.
This event takes place during voluntary contribution hours at the museum.
Free Friday night programs in the Museum are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.