Commonplace surfaces

If you want an up to date book on Stephen Shore this is the one to get. Based on an exhibition of his work that's touring Europe from September 2014 until September 2016.

The book is landscape with 275 one to a page photos in the portfolio section, though the Print-on demand (2003-10) chapter has dozens of thumbnail size photos from the 2002 Apple iphoto concept. The first fifty-five pages have two illustrated essays, one of these is an excellent Q and A between Shore and David Campany, particularly interesting because it reveals a lot about Shore's approach to photography, influences and nicely some technical detail concerning his cameras and color.

The portfolio pages are cross-section of work from 1964 to 2013. Those familiar with the work will recognize many photos from American surface, A road trip journal and Uncommon places, all pre-1990. Other chapters look at archaeology (1994) New York (2002.2) Ukraine (2012-13) and Winslow, Arizona (2013).

I've looked through the book several times and still enjoy seeing the same photos, especially the Americana series from the seventies and early eighties. Despite so many of these just being shots of commonplace they hold a visual interest time after time.