First published 2023
Rita Bullwinkel examines the work of photographer J. John Priola across two decades of image making. The book presents twelve distinct photographic series that probe both natural and artificial worlds. Bullwinkel contributes an essay alongside Claire Daigle's writing and a recorded conversation with photographer Alec Soth. The collection reveals how plants function as storytellers, carrying information about those who tend them and the forces of environment and care. Priola's photographs serve as portraits and records of moments that have passed beyond direct observation. His images blend beauty with unsettling elements, created entirely under natural illumination even when they appear to be studio compositions. The work appears in both color and monochrome, with varying scales and arrangements that demonstrate multiple ways of seeing our environment and our place within it. Photography operates as transformation here, appearing documentary while remaining deeply personal and ultimately unreachable.
Genres: biography, nature, art, photography
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: documentary, personal
144 pages · Hardcover · Kehrer Verlag