In 1978 Luigi Ghirri self-published his first book, an avant-garde manifesto for the medium of photography and a landmark in his own remarkable oeuvre. Kodachrome has long been out of print and on the 20th anniversary of Ghirri’s death, MAPP is proud to publish the first digital edition of Kodachrome.You can get the e-book onto your iPad via the iBooks store (search for "Luigi Ghirri"). MACK are also publishing Kodachrome as a conventional, physical book.
This edition is published as a facsimile of the original, adopting the original design, text layout and image sequence, but using new image files scanned from Ghirri’s original film to take advantage of modern technology. Also included is an essay by Francesco Zanot, which offers a contemporary perspective on the historical impact of Kodachrome, alongside French and German translations of the original texts from the book (which were published in English and Italian).
‘The daily encounter with reality, the fictions, the surrogates, the ambiguous, poetic or alienating aspects, all seem to preclude any way out of the labyrinth, the walls of which are ever more illusory… The meaning that I am trying to render through my work is a verification of how it is still possible to desire and face a path of knowledge, to be able finally to distinguish the precise identity of man, things, life, from the image of man, things, and life.’ Luigi Ghirri
I only came across this book for the first time last year. It is one of those books that is so perfect, so beautiful, that has anticipated so thoroughly everything you have ever done that you thought was original, that it makes you wonder why you bother. Or that inspires you to get out there and fail again, fail better.
5 comments:
'Fail again, fail better.' I only read that the other day. Have you used it somewhere else recently? I know it's Sam Becket, but can't remember where it came up. Loved the Diderot quote, which, I'm ashamed to say, I've never heard before.
Welcome aboard, Rob,
I use that quote once every 10 or so posts -- if I went in for tattoos, that would certainly be one of them. Left forearm, I think, right next to the Shakespeare signature facsimile.
N.B. as a new commenter from You Know Where, may I point you at the rules of engagement:
http://idiotic-hat.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-comment-on-comments.html
Mike
"labyrinth, the walls of which are ever more illusory…", eh? Is this not shit which is increasingly bovine?
PS Fuke? Ha! Obviously a pseudonym.
Zouk,
It is a bit (probably sounds better in Italian) but never mind the words, the photos and their arrangement are superb.
Yes, a dubious name, indeed.
Mike
I must go out and steal an iphone forthwith!
Btw the flash download didn't work for my android.
Still, not as dodgy-sounding as "Terry".
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