Book Review: "Love and Desire: Photoworks" by William A. Ewing

*Get the book on Amazon here*

This four hundred page volume is a follow-up to the photography book entitled "The Body," which had pictures of just that.

Here, Ewing collects mostly black and white photography from the last one hundred and fifty years into the volume. He separates them according to different "genres": Bonds, Icons, Observations, Propositions, Tokens, Libidos, Reveries, and Obsession. With these genres, all collected under the broad "Love and Desire," a case could be made as to why the editor put some pictures in "Tokens," but not "Libidos." The book tries to be an overview of love in photography, but barely scratches the surface. The good news is the collection he does have is marvelous. I read the book in one sitting, the genre intros are short, but the photos here are wonderful. Ewing provides excellent credits, letting the reader try to find more work by photographers they have never heard of.

The opening introduction essay, capsulizing the history of photography is both too long and dismissive. Ewing laments the use of the camera by the common person to take family photos, not realizing that every snapshot cannot, and isn't trying to, be art. With all the photography here, the volume is one that can be picked up and perused again and again. Despite some spotty editorial choices, I highly recommend it.