Observations in an Occupied Wilderness

11-3/4 x 10 in; 120 pp ; 75 color photographs, two 4-page gatefolds
Hardcover
Published in October, 2006
ISBN 0811850986
ISBN13 9780811850988

$50.00  

Observations in an Occupied Wilderness -- Terry Falke's wry, lyrical photographs center on the terrain of the American Southwest—and the ubiquity of humanity’s imprint on it. The images in Observations in an Occupied Wilderness both honor and subvert the grand tradition of western landscape photography, conveying the bleak splendor of the land and Falke's sheer love of looking. Gorgeous, sardonic, and playful, Falke's work emphasizes beauty and incongruity, and is as much about human nature as it is about the land. Shot with a large-format camera, the resultant images are personal and provocative, raising as many questions than they answer. This remarkable debut monograph is a shrewd exploration of our last wild places.

Terry Falke, a native Southwesterner, has photographed various aspects and issues in the American landscape for more than 30 years. His work has been featured in many group and solo exhibitions and is held in numerous major public collections. He lives near Dallas, Texas.

Carol McCusker is curator of photography at the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego. She has curated numerous exhibitions and has contributed to several books. She lives in San Diego.

William L. Fox has published numerous books and essays about photography and the West. He lives in Los Angeles.

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critical landscapes

2008-02-28 | 2:06 AM | alan rapp

Sometimes a body of photographs just takes you over. I think this is one of the most sublime, wry, and thought-provoking photography books Chronicle has published in recent years. And it's the one that truly engaged me with the history and contemporary practice of landscape photography, a hallowed genre that can be intellectually esoteric or "beautiful" in the most cliched ways. I humbly submit it's one of the best landscape photography books out there. Alan Rapp Sr. Editor, Art + Design