Aperture
September 2007
On Sale: September 1, 2007
32 pages
ISBN: 1597110531
EAN: 9781597110532
Hardcover
$24.95
Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction Photography
In this darkly delightful first monograph--also a board
book--Thomas Allen selects the pulpiest of pulp paperbacks
and then lovingly slices out a figure from the cover, gently
folds it into position and constructs a witty and oftentimes
suggestive scene around it. In "Thirst," a sultry dame
reaches from her cover toward a guy with a bottle on a
nearby volume; in "Teeter," a man careens toward the edge of
a stack of paperbacks, ready to topple. Dogs howl; ships
sail; punches fly.Inspired by a love of pop-up books,
Hollywood noir, westerns and pulp fiction, Allen revels in
the different roles he must play to create his scenarios:
"In addition to being a photographer, I play talent scout,
casting director, stage manager, lighting supervisor and
film editor." Once his original tableaux are perfectly
composed, he photographs them in shallow focus, rendering
his prints with the dreamy effect of the classic View-Master
stereoscopic toy, which has been a long-time inspiration.
From femmes fatales to hard-boiled gumshoes, Allen's newly
enlivened characters seem to burst from the hefty boards of
this almost toylike book, apparently unable to contain
themselves. Uncovered includes an introduction by Chip Kidd,
one of the most innovative graphic designers working today.
Kidd has used Allen's work in many cover designs, including
a series of James Ellroy novels.
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