I just got my copy of "Paul Strand in Mexico," a 350 page coffeetable book from Aperture. Yes, I realize that it's been out since Christmas, but I'm always late in knowing about these things.
To start with, it IS certainly comprehensive. It even has a DVD of Strand's film "Redes" glued inside the back cover. It's very wordy -- I'll certainly never get most of it read. Lots of images by other photographers of the period in Mexico, particularly Tina Modotti and Manual Bravo, with a few by Weston.
Reproduction is excellent, although perhaps a trifle below the two volume overview of his life's work, "Paul Strand," and "Time in New England," (my favorite photo book of all time), both from Aperture.
What can I say about the pictures? I was taken by two characteristics: 1) how soft many of the images were, not pictoralist soft but more like I have always thought of Leica Elmar images -- soft but sharp (whatever that means), and 2) how static his subject matter was -- no "decisive moments" there. I didn't count them, but there were certainly lots and lots of images of religious idols in the churches. I'd love to know which of the images were made with his 8x10 and which with the 5x7 Graflex.
Anyhow, is the book worth having (at over $50)? Yes, yes, oh yes!
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