— Ray K. Metzker: Landscapes

Gordonsville, VA, Aperture Foundation, 2000. Gray cloth with illustrated dustjacket. 149 pp. Profusely illustrated in bw. Published to accompany the major exhibition of this photographer's work held at the Philadelphia Museum in 2000. A sumptuous volume! "Ray K. Metzker has startled and delighted viewers with his images for the past forty years. Since 1985, he has turned from the urban subjects he began his career with to concentrate on landscapes. During these fifteen years, Metzker has stretched the meaning and importance of the term "landscape," with photographs ranging in style from the traditional to the abstract." "Ray K. Metzker: Landscapes incorporates selections from twelve series of photographs, including "Feste di Foglie," made in Tuscany; the "Earthly Delights" series, from the eastern United States; as well as work made in Turkey, southern France, and an extensive group of images from Moab, Utah. Most of these images have never before been published." "In a significant essay, art historian Evan H. Turner makes a detailed investigation into the evolution of Metzker's work and his thinking about landscape, and relates Metzker's photography to an art-historical tradition that spans the work of Boucher, Monet, Klimt, and many others. The book also includes a definitive chronology of Metzker's landscape work."--Jacket. VG+/VG .