Tom Hunter’s Woman Reading a Possession Order is one of the most recognizable British photographs of recent times. His empathic portrayal of life in London’s East End and the frequent references to art history are superbly displayed in Hatje Cantz’s mid-career retrospective. We have signed copies, but they’re limited so don’t wait too long. Sample images here.
Publisher's Description
The meticulously composed, painterly tableaux of Tom Hunter (*1965 in Dorset) operate on various levels: for one, he references important paintings from art history; for another, he tells us stories of our time—stories that all take place in the London borough of Hackney, where Hunter lives. What is perhaps his best-known photograph is of a young woman in a setting that alludes to Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window. However, Hunter’s photo portrays a Woman Reading a Possession Order—a neighbor from the squatter’s scene who has just received an eviction notice. The work attracted so such attention from the media that the eviction ultimately never took place.
With his eye for the unusual and exotic in everyday life, Hunter succeeds in capturing striking, remarkable snapshots of life in Great Britain today.
Customer Ali O'Brien writes: "A beautiful and generous book which will not gather dust on my shelf. The images taken over a 25 yr period convey such humility and empathy in regards the shifts and changes within his home community of Hackney. Achingly tender, celebratory and melancholic with witty twists. Artistic influences, career and concerns are also wonderfully described in his introductory essay."
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Size: 250 x 300m
192 pages, 160 illustrations