november-books

Monday, 5 August 2013

Walter Pfeiffer - Fotos 1970-1980

Very scarce. Walter Pfeiffer's first book. A groundbreaking subculture classic. "In his earliest work Pfeiffer can be seen in relation to Larry Clark, as a photographer who not only captures but implicates himself in the restless ’70s, and yet Pfeiffer’s irreverent sense of humor sets him apart [ ... ] Walter Pfeiffer’s work both anticipated and paralleled that of the ’80s photographers and, in so doing, looked ahead to much of what followed. So it would be possible to see his pictures laid end to end as a secret thread to the present." Amazing.

Weber's fragile masterpiece almost never seen in such good condition. A carefully planned act of seduction' (Vince Aletti, The Book of 101 Books). The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century pp.254-5; 802 photo books from the Auer collection p.668. Absolutely stunning.

Larry Clark's best book, and one of his toughest to find, especially in a good condition. No text. Intense portraits and scenarios of violence, masculinity, male sexuality, youth and slacker culture, managing to be both beautiful and extreme in equal measure. Highly recommended.

Killer cult classic. Pfeiffer's second book. "Walter Pfeiffer’s faces are naïve. Lewd, innocent and brutal, yearning, greedy and shy. These faces breathe desire, prescience and eloquence. As embodiments of an adolescent vision that possesses the irresistible power of pure seduction, they fix and hold viewers spellbound, regardless of standpoint. Pfeiffer’s photographs speak with the instinct of the moment. The essence of eros, as movement ceaselessly erupting from within and penetrating everything around it, could hardly be portrayed with more immediacy, more simplicity and, paradoxically, more immaterial imagery. There is nothing superficial about the artist’s choice of subject matter: the face. The pictures reproduced in this publication are the outcome of a prolonged and extensive project. The inescapable appeal of these young men, photographed between 1980 and 1986, lies in the characteristics that typify youth, from facial expression to haircut.” Patrick Frey, from the foreword to Das Auge, die Gedanken, unentwegt wandernd.

Superb Gordon curated catalogue published in collaboration with Purple in 2000. Superbly balanced range of work from Gordon herself, along with Mike Kelley, Thurston Moore, Raymond Pettibon, Spike Jonze, Sofia Coppola, Rita Ackermann, Sadie Benning, Tamra Davis, Mark Gonzalez, Kathleen Hanna, Cameron Jamie, Richard Kern, Jutta Koether, Dave Markey, Tony Oursler and so on. Very 'Purple' and very brilliant.

Very brilliant compilation of Purple from 1992-2002, encapsulating the anti fashion aesthetic from Fleiss, Zahm, Borthwick, Margiela, Helmut Lang, Bless, Rita Ackermann, Chloe Sevigny and co. Super beautiful.

Brilliant. One of the most amazing things published by the Purple Institute. So- all the people who matter from 1995-2002 including Chloe Sevigny, Ackermann, Catherine Deneuve, Lou Doillon, Kim Gordon, Harmony Korine, Kate Moss, Anita Pallenberg, Brad Pitt, Camille Vivier and so on photographed by Richard Prince, Terry Richardson, Mark Borthwick, Takashi Homma, Wolfgang Tillmans and lots of others. Phenomenal!