The Unseen Eye
Photographs from the Unconscious
Published on 12. September 2011
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-0-500-54395-5 (ISBN)
Description
This haunting collection of photographs reflects the surreal vision of the New York collector W. M. Hunt. The photographs have a common theme - the gaze of the subject is averted, the face obscured or the eyes firmly closed - and range from Andre Breton's self-portrait with eyes closed to Ruth Snyder in the electric chair in 1928 and from Weegee's multi-imaged portrait of Andy Warhol in sunglasses to Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs of the artist Alice Neel with her eyes closed. The pictures present a catalogue of anti-portraiture, characterized at first glance by what its subject conceal, not by what the camera reveals. The continuous plate section, broadly ordered as a portrait of humanity from birth to death, has a commentary by Hunt running through it, in which he offers his own intense and perceptive responses to the images he has gathered over many years, as well as insights into the psychology of collecting.
Reviews / Votes
'Utterly captivating' - Sunday Telegraph 'A wonderful selection of images ... a great anthology. But combined with the brilliant text that accompanies it we are taken through a maze of ideas that investigates the powerful psychological depths which visual language can reach. ... lovingly curated with great verve and I'm sure will become an instant classic, to be treasured for many years to come' - For London Independent Photography 'Incredible ... tactile and imaginative with depth and emotion' - Hotshoe International 'Put together with exquisite taste ... a seductive text in the form of personal-sounding notes [that] make browsing the book a compelling experience ... This is a book of stillnesses and depths that doesn't takes its readers for fools ... a wonderful book' - The Art Newspaper 'Elegant ... seductive ... an interesting balance of familiar and unexpected pictures contributes to new readings ... the alternation between the historical and the contemporary, and the mix and match are immensly graceful and fun ... The commentaries, all by Hunt, are remarkable' - Photography & CultureMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
273 Illustrations, black and white; 123 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 289 mm
Width: 271 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
2287 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-500-54395-5 (9780500543955)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
W. M. Hunt is a renowned photography collector and dealer, and co-founder and director of Hasted Hunt Krauetler photography gallery in New York.
Content
Introduction: More than Meets the Eye by William A. Ewing; The Unseen Eye by W. M. Hunt; List of Illustrations