This is not a top ten list by any means, moreover it’s just a compilation of things (not necessarily new) that kept me interested and inspired throughout the year.
In alphabetical order:
1. The Americans – Robert Frank
Robert Frank, Trolley—New Orleans, 1955
I can honestly admit that although Robert Frank’s The Americans has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for many years, my love of photography just didn’t encompass this brilliant little book until now.
Maybe it’s the fact that the book is 50 years old and that Frank had a huge year in terms of never ending press and exhibitions, but 2009 will be forever stamped on my brain as the year I learned to truly appreciate Frank’s amazing accomplishment.
The Metropolitan’s Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans was the exhibition that helped open my eyes. Looking at all 83 photographs that make up the book and seeing them in sequential order hung up on a wall totally confounded me and made me realize how much was on the mind of this great visual thinker and how intelligently edited and put together the overall project was. These photographs are wonderful and witty, ironic and beautiful.
I guess I should have realized these things years ago by looking at the book on my shelf but sometimes one can’t see past the hype that surrounds a highly regarded project or the work is just way ahead of and smarter than most viewers including myself.
Make sure to see the exhibition before it closes on January 3rd, you won’t regret it.
2. Bradford Cox – Atlas Sound, Deerhunter
There isn’t much to say that I haven’t already said before about Bradford Cox, Deerhunter or Atlas Sound. Logos was definitely one of my favorite and most listened to albums released this year.
Let’s not forget about all great extra music Cox releases on his blog: new tracks, unreleased recordings and wonderfully considered micromixes.
3. Dirty Projectors – Bitta Orca
I have already written about this great album, another one of my favorites released earlier this year, but it’s worth repeating.
This is a great album that should stand up against the test of time.
4. Ed Ruscha – Leave Any Information At The Signal
“I think photography is dead as a fine art; its only place is in the commercial world, for technical or information purposes. I don’t mean cinema photography, but still photography; that is, limited edition, individual, hand-processed photos. Mine are simply reproductions of photos. Thus, it is not a book to house a collection of art photographs–they are technical data like industrial photography. To me, they are nothing more than snapshots.”
-Ed Rushca talking to John Coplans in 1965
How can you not want to read the words of someone who has so dramatically influenced contemporary photography and yet doesn’t consider himself a photographer let alone believe in photography as an art form. Leave Any Information at the Signal: Writings, Interviews, Bits, Pages is absolutely priceless and worth your time.
While you are at it, pick up a copy of either of his photography catalogues and see if you don’t disagree with his own statements.
5. Hunger – Steve McQueen
Feature film debut of the year if not absolute best film of the year from British video artist Steve McQueen.
Hunger was an intense and necessary viewing experience. If it’s still playing in a theater near you don’t hesitate any longer, this is not meant for DVD.
6. The Hurt Locker & Inglourious Basterds
Although very different in tone, these two powerful films still have me thinking long after having seen them. A return to form for Quentin Tarantino and a step out and above for Kathryn Bigelow. Looking forward to what they both do next.
7. Photographing in Color – Paul Outerbridge
On eBay earlier this year I picked up a very cheap copy of Paul Outerbridge’s Photographing in Color published in 1940. Unfortunately my copy didn’t include the scarce dust jacket. The book itself is mostly a how-to and craft-related book of color photographic processes presented by Outerbridge but includes some insightful thoughts about the photographic medium in general.
The book begins with this remarkably outdated introductory paragraph:
“SO YOU think you’d like to photograph in color! Well, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t, but you’ll have to take certain things into consideration. Color photography in its present state of development, even with the easiest processes known, is not quite as easy as black and white nor is it as fast, and furthermore it costs more.”
It’s amazing how things have really turned upside down since 1940, it is now way easier and cheaper to print in color than it is to print in black and white (unless one goes the inkjet route) and most of the processes discussed by Outerbridge are old and out of date. But one of the things I find not out of date in this book are the 15 incredibly rich and colorful photographic plates which are tipped in to the book.
Thinking about a lot of the color still life photography I saw this year, I can’t help but think of Outerbridge and his subtly enduring influence.
8. Protest Photographs – Chauncey Hare
Probably the best new photographic book I picked up this year, Chauncey Hare’s Protest Photographs is incredible and should probably get some kind of award for thickest photography book and most belatedly printed body of work. If you just finished a series of photographs and think you deserve a book, think again… and then wait.
Don’t miss the personal essay written by Hare himself and get a deep insight into this heartfelt body of work.
9. Vernacular Photographs
Collecting vernacular photographs is an extremely cheap hobby as most photographs usually cost about $1. But the habit does requires some serious patience as one must sift through enormous and disorganized piles of images to find the good ones. While I have been a collector of many paintings, drawings and objects over the years, it was only recently that I discovered the absolute joy and wonder of collecting these little poetic gems.
Part of me is beginning to feel that I am practicing my picture taking and editing ability by looking through hundreds if not thousands of photographs. In a way I feel that collecting photographs has become another aspect of my photographic practice and in many ways these pictures I collect have become completely mine as they reflect my taste and picture making sensibility.
There is also quite a bit of luck involved, just like making pictures.
Start your own collection and see what inspires you.
10. White Noise and Mao II – Don Delillo
I began 2009 by reading White Noise, originally published in 1985 and was immediately taken with Don Delillo’s brand of writing which I found to be both disturbing and humorous as well as intelligent and extremely ironic. White Noise is quite a dark, almost dystopic view of contemporary life as reflected through our television obsessed, consumeristic and polluted lifestyle.
One of the reasons I picked up the book in the first place was because Jason Fulford mentions it in Spine: New Voices in Graphic Design. Fulford provided the photographs that were used for one of the paperback editions. The cover photographs together with the novel description peeked my interest enough to take a copy home one day from the Strand.
From the first page forward I immediately began to see the novel as a film. Delillo’s language is extremely descriptive and full of visual references. After having just finished reading Mao II, I realize that this is Delillo’s standard practice and am already looking forward to reading Libra which is sitting in a stack of books on my shelf. There is just something very cinematic about the way Delillo writes and the way he describes a scene, the words surround you and conjure up image after image in your mind. Read carefully as there are many deep thoughts that concern the power of the photographic image.
11. The White Ribbon – Michael Haneke
Another dark, beautiful and mysterious masterpiece from Michael Haneke. I don’t know where he comes up with this stuff and I probably have just as many answers as the next guy (which means I know absolutely nothing) but I’m thoroughly intrigued and looking forward to seeing it again very soon. One of the things I love most about Haneke’s films in general is that there really are no answers and easy explanations. In a way I realize that many of his films hold the power of a single photograph, which without text, explanation or context can only hint at their true meaning and underlying narrative.
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Mark Fast is going the way many designers are these days - making his creations more accessible by producing a 
