A Shimmer of Possibility
Paul Graham
Steidl / MACK
Softcover
376 Pages
240 x 320 mm
2009
ISBN 9783865218629
First published in late 2007, New York-based photographer Paul Graham’s A Shimmer of Possibility was hailed as “one of the most important advances in contemporary photographic practice that has taken place in a long while” and was said to “redefine what a photobook can be.” Inspired by Chekhov’s short stories, the book is a series of photographic vignettes–taken from 2004-2006–of quotidian moments in contemporary American life, which Graham occasionally punctuates with the sublime. For example, there is an image of a man mowing his lawn while it begins to rain and the sun illuminates each drop. These filmic haiku avoid summation; life simply flows past, enveloping the viewer in its beauty.
About the Artist
Paul Graham (b.1956) is a British artist who works in Fine Art photography. His pieces typically show people and objects in realistic settings with surreal or unusual elements added to the image. Though Graham worked as a photographer during his 20s, he did not have his first show until he was 30. In 2012, the Hasselblad Foundation awarded him the International Award in Photography, making him the only British winner of the award. Graham is the author of over a dozen books and survey monographs that document different areas of the world.
About the Publisher
Steidl celebrates some of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature, publishes German literature as well as translations from French, English and Icelandic. In 1996, Steidl started his own photo book program. Today, some of the most renowned photographers and artists across the globe are part of the Steidl program, including Joel Sternfeld, Bruce Davidson, Karl Lagerfeld, Lewis Baltz, Ed Ruscha, Roni Horn, Paolo Roversi and Juergen Teller, to name but a few.
MACK is an independent art and photography publishing house based in London. Mack works with established and emerging artists, writers and curators, and cultural institutions, releasing between 20-25 books per year. The publisher was founded in 2010 in London by Michael Mack.
