In Photography After Frank, former New York Times writer and picture editor Philip Gefter presents the tale of contemporary photography, starting with a pivotal moment: Robert Frank’s seminal work in the 1950s. Along the way, he connects the dots of photography’s transformation into what it is today. Gefter begins with Frank’s challenge to the notion of photography’s objectivity with the grainy, off-handed spontaneity of The Americans. Next comes the “staged document” and postmodernism’s further challenge to image fidelity. Other themes are photojournalism, the diversity of portraiture, the influence of private and corporate collections on curatorial decisions, and how the market shapes art making. Throughout the book, Gefter deftly connects Frank’s legacy with the work of dozens of important individual artists who followed in his wake, from Lee Friedlander and Nan Goldin to Stephen Shore and Ryan McGinley. The book includes texts written exclusively for this publication as well as essays drawn from Gefter’s critical writings, reviews, and even obituaries. Photography After Frank offers a page-turning yet journalistic approach bound to appeal to students and artworld aficionados, alike.
