Subjective Realities

Among the many lessons we have learned from photography since its inception are a few about the nature of reality and its representation. Long considered a mirror image of the real world, a direct and objective record of what exists in the visual stratosphere, the photograph has come to be understood as something much more complicated and variable, something easily manipulated and modified. Subjective Realities is thus a most apt title for this publication, which presents a stellar selection of contemporary photography from the Refco Collection. Included are works by Vito Acconci, Janine Antoni, Matthew Barney, Chris Burden, Jean-Marc Bustamante, Sophie Calle, Gregory Crewdson, Rineke Dijkstra, Olafur Eliasson, Barbara Ess, Walker Evans, Adam Fuss, Ann Hamilton, Eva Hesse, Axel Hutte, Seydou Keita, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Ana Mendieta, Gordon Matta-Clark, Mariko Mori, Catherine Opie, Richard Prince, and many, many more artists. An essay by Dave Hickey introduces the book, and short texts on individual artists have been contributed by Lynne Cooke, Kathryn Hixson, A.M. Homes, Glenn O'Brien, Saul Ostrow, Luc Sante, Katy Siegel, and others.