A Peculiar Paradise: Florida Photographs is exactly what it claims to be: photographs, made in Florida, by former National Geographic photographer (and one time head of Magnum) Nathan Benn. Most—if not all—of the photographs were made in two Geographic-funded trips, one in 1973, “to fill out another photographer’s coverage of the flourishing Cuban-born community centered …
Author Archives: James Cockroft
Shooting Up Babylon
After a disappointing run with my first roll of Lomography Fantôme Kino (seems I only shared that on Twitter, and so I’ll rectify that next week, God willing), I shoved the other rolls of Fantôme and the rolls of the Babylon Kino to the back of the fridge. In an attempt to kickstart some photographic …
Talia Chetrit – ‘Showcaller’
For Showcaller, the 2018 exhibition at Kölnischer Kunstverein and this 2019 monograph from Mack, Talia Chetrit deftly wove together selfies and pictures of her friends and family from the early 1990s, with early art projects and much later series, to make something of a statement about gaze and agency and power and things. I’m pretty …
Tod Papageorge – ‘Dr. Blankman’s New York’
The very first picture that appears in Tod Papageorge’s Dr. Blankman’s New York shows a pair of storefronts: a florist, and the titular Dr. S. H. Blankman Optometrist, who offers (small print) Contact Lenses, and, in larger print than his name, claims “EYES EXAMINED.” Ok. Ok. I’m not that dense. 1) this echoes the opener …
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An(other) occurrence at Old Alton Bridge
I wish I had a picture of myself juggling 4 or 5 cameras I had that day in December at the Old Alton Bridge with my darling, adorable wife. And apologies if you’ve tired of seeing the same old scenes over and over again; don’t worry: we’ll go back to Grapevine lake and some film/camera …
André Kertész – ‘The Polaroids’
After reading or hearing about André Kertész’s The Polaroids, it lived on my wish list for several years, and thanks to Mom (or was it my darling wife?) one appeared for my birthday!
Old Alton Bridge in Half Frame
I don’t know why the Old Alton Bridge and surrounding trails are so crushed with graffiti, but they are… Thankfully, it seems to mostly be neutral or left-leaning, and we saw few swastikas or white power or MAGA stuff that wasn’t covered or otherwise blotted out. After all, to quote some graffiti on the back …