japancamerahunter unofficialJesse’s Book Review – Bread in Snow by Mark Cohen
Jesse's Book Review - Bread in Snow by Mark Cohen
I haven't reviewed or really even sat with a Mark Cohen photo book, which is such a shame. Known for shooting his rural northeastern section of Pennsylvania (Scranton) from the 60s, this is among his last two photo books both released by Super Labo over the last 5 years. "Grim Street" and "True Color" are his most known works hovering around a 1,000 dollars…while "Bread in Snow" here remains available for something more reasonable.
Shot between 1977-1987, all the photos in the book are in color. A bit different since he was primarily known for his black and white images. The time period coincides with the New American Color photography of Eggleston, Shore, etc., yet unlike his contemporaries who shot with the more expensive Kodachrome, Kodacolor, and Ektachrome; Cohen shot with the faster (slightly) yet cheaper Kodak Vericolor II.
Immediately noticeable are the deeper reds made crimson conjuring Rothko or an Ingmar Bergman. I keep coming back to the simplicity of the rich red fence…
…or the woman with just one red glove. Of which he writes:
"it was this fragment -suddenly in the frame- at the bus stop, not composed, but quickly centered, that was the start of the picture. One hand is bare and one is gloved and the fact of the color film in the camera is almost incidental. After developing the film the glove she is wearing is distinctly red-but at the time of the exposure-putting the camera lens so close to the clasped hands - was a much more intense experience-then the trespass into her personal space."
He goes on to say:
"Color added additional voice to pictures.I felt they gained energy, and accidental social, meaning as I walked through the city attracted by almost anything. Any eye contact was a factor."
Quite different from his Tri-X B&W shots that to the point characterized his work it was around this time (1977) he chose to shoot the whole year in color. The last year of the project in 1987, he did switch to Fuji 1600 color film where the difference in grain is noticeable.
Although in color, his style is entirely on display in this book. Wide angle, flash, and close-up while for the most part cropping faces to focus upon details. A bit more austere then the sometimes compared Parr…he fits somewhere comfortably on his own terms between Eggleston and the former. The dying industrial city in Pennsylvania plays and equally large role in defining his style, separating himself.
With that, the photo book can be purchased directly from the publisher here for about 50 USD. A steal considering the price of his other work, as the book here remains firmly within his style… making for a great deal!
Details:
w17.4 x h24.6 cm
192 Pages
93 Images(color)
Hard cover
Full color Offset
Limited edition of 1000
Published in 2019
ISBN 978-4-908512-68-1
*There are 3 different front cover
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_For other book reviews clickhere.
_-JF
The post Jesse's Book Review - Bread in Snow by Mark Cohen appeared first on Japan Camera Hunter.
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