FOMITE

Sixty years ago, Andre Kertesz, the Hungarian-American photographer, published ON READING, a small collection of photographs which, his curator wrote, “ celebrates the absorptive power  and pleasure of this solitary activity”.  His photographs were made between 1920 and 1970.

The photographs in this collection were made between 1990 and 2020; they celebrate print media in this time of digitalization.  We take pleasure in the size, shape and texture of a book and the solidity of its cover. We enjoy feeling the heft of a volume and the turning a physical page. The collections in our home are reminders of the past and are evidence of our accomplishments. It is difficult to imagine how e-books can offer similar experiences.

About the Author

Joel Stephen Grossman is a Social Psychologist who has indulged himself in making pictures during a long retirement. He came of age in New York, studied in Ann Arbor and Cleveland, taught in California and now lives in Seattle. The themes that run through his photographic work are solitary and thoughtful pursuits: reading, chess, signs, artistry on beaches.