Retrospective: Taking My Time By Joel Meyerowitz

Joel Meyerowitz is one of America’s most iconic photographers with a vast spectrum of work. He is a preeminent street photographer, having broken new ground in the genre in the 1960s. He is also a pioneer of color photography, as testified by his classic pictures of Cape Cod. And he is the photographer who has given us unforgettable images of Ground Zero. Spanning a career rich with creative milestones and iconic works, Joel Meyerowitz: Taking My Time (Phaidon, Deluxe Edition, ISBN 978-0714865027, $750) explores the enduring influence of the master photographer over the past half-century.

The two volumes of this retrospective edition feature nearly 600 photographs–including both landmark and previously unpublished photographs–edited and sequenced by Meyerowitz to create a chronological record of his evolution as an artist and the crucial role he played in the emergence of color photography.

Volume 1 of this two-volume set covers 1962 to 1974. The images in this volume include Meyerowitz’ seminal color photography and black-and-white street photographs of New York City; images taken during a year in Europe which he refers to as his coming-of-age bot as an artist and a man; and documentation of America during the Vietnam War years. Volume 2 takes us through to present-day, spotlighting his trademark images of Cape Cod; portraits; photographs taken while traveling through Tuscany and other places; his chronicle of the road trip he took with his son and his father, who had Alzheimer’s; indelible images of Ground Zero; and transporting pictures of the parks of New York.

Featuring a signed print, a DVD of Meyerowitz’s award-winning film “Pop” – in which he chronicles the road trip he took with his son and father (who at the time was suffering from Alzheimer’s) and a graphic novel adapted from the film, Joel Meyerowitz: Taking My Time is a compelling record of the creative and professional development of a master photographer, and a tremendously personal, inspiring work. ❚