Troeller, Linda; Steinke, Darcey — Sex. Death. Transcendence

Oakland, CA, TBW Books, 2024. Softcover. Quarto. Stringbound softcover. Teal wraps with mounted photo and black titles. 1 volume (96 unnumbered pages) : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits ; 34 x 24 cm. "Linda Troeller uses the camera like a tool to activate her own personal shamanistic ritual. A producer of self-portraiture her entire life and now in her seventies, Troeller identifies the moment of making a photograph as one of deep realization, spiritual connection, and even transformation. Each self-image allows her a more complete understanding of her being. Sex. Death. Transcendence. joins together a selection of these self-portraits spanning her life--in black and white and color, with traditional film and iPhone cameras--that mark her existence in time. Troeller uses her own aging body and by doing so challenges our notions of what we deem desirable as a culture. Troeller flips her own image on the viewer along with all of its meaning and power and forces us to take a deeper look within ourselves. Darcey Steinke's insightful essay contextualizes Troeller's individualistic approach to photography. VG.