First Doubt

Many photographers have been intrigued with the baffling distortionsboth subtle and disquietingthat can occur when the camera captures the real world. Not always intentional, some images dazzle with impossible juxtapositions or disorienting spatial orders, while others confound the viewers belief in the documentary promise of photography. Drawn from the highly respected collection of Allan Chasanoff, the photographs in this intriguing volume confront viewers with the challenge of doubt and confusion in so-called straight pictures. Featured are perceptually provocative images by Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Clarence John Laughlin, Imogen Cunningham, and Lee Friedlander, among others. The books essays raise awareness of the interpretive nature of the lens and the interpolative nature of the medium. Distributed for the Yale University Art Gallery Exhibition Schedule: Yale University Art Gallery (October 7, 2008 January 4, 2009)