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|  | |  | | | Thomas Allen: Uncovered | | | | | SKU:
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Usually ships in 1 business days | | Only 1 left in stock, order soon! | | | | | | In this darkly delightful first monograph--also a board book--Thomas Allen selects the pulpiest of pulp paperbacks and then lovingly slices out a figure from the cover, gently folds it into position and constructs a witty and oftentimes suggestive scene around it. In "Thirst," a sultry dame reaches from her cover toward a guy with a bottle on a nearby volume; in "Teeter," a man careens toward the edge of a stack of paperbacks, ready to topple. Dogs howl; ships sail; punches fly.
Inspired by a love of pop-up books, Hollywood noir, westerns and pulp fiction, Allen revels in the different roles he must play to create his scenarios: "In addition to being a photographer, I play talent scout, casting director, stage manager, lighting supervisor and film editor." Once his original tableaux are perfectly composed, he photographs them in shallow focus, rendering his prints with the dreamy effect of the classic View-Master stereoscopic toy, which has been a long-time inspiration. From femmes fatales to hard-boiled gumshoes, Allen's newly enlivened characters seem to burst from the hefty boards of this almost toylike book, apparently unable to contain themselves. Uncovered includes an introduction by Chip Kidd, one of the most innovative graphic designers working today. Kidd has used Allen's work in many cover designs, including a series of James Ellroy novels. | | | |
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| | Product Details | | Board book: | 48 pages | | Publisher: | Aperture | | Publication Date: | September 01, 2007 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 1597110531 | | Product Length: | 8.41 inches | | Product Width: | 7.13 inches | | Product Height: | 0.89 inches | | Product Weight: | 1.37 pounds | | Package Length: | 8.5 inches | | Package Width: | 7.0 inches | | Package Height: | 0.9 inches | | Package Weight: | 1.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 9 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 9 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Inspiring! A breath of fresh air! Oct 01, 2007
By purplebrain
I had seen a few preview images online, but nothing prepared me for the awesomeness!!! The book is printed on thick, cardboard-like pages (think young children's books), so it's sturdy and rugged and highly unusual. If you're a fan of David Levinthal's stuff, David Levinthal: Small Wonders (American Scene (Washington, D.C.), 4,), this work will appeal. If you're a fan of pulp art, or popular illustration, this will appeal. It makes me want to grab some Xacto knives and go digging through old book boxes at the local antique consignment mall. I'll return to this one again and again for that quick-hit visual inspiration. It may not as large as a standard coffee table book, but you'll never want to put it away!!! It's excellent creative re-envisioning. It's a photographic parallel of what Bill Willingham is doing with Fables - taking long-established works and repurposing them to EXCELLENT effect. If you haven't read Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile, give it a try. You're in for a treat, and it gets better and better as the story unfolds!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Always knew Tom would go far!! Nov 05, 2007
By Sandra L. Weinrauch
"mission07"
I have known Tom Allen since kindergarten - and always was amazed at his talent. This book is mind blowing when you take the time to think about all he did to make these photos. A great conversation piece, as well as thought provoking.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
These will literally jump out at you Oct 11, 2007
By David Ingle
What a fabulous collection! I first saw the work of Thomas Allen in the Spring 2007 issue of The Georgia Review magazine, and was just blown away. I really feel like Allen is onto something nobody else is, both in terms of form and content. I almost don't want to know too much about his method, preferring to maintain the mystery and enjoy the results. This cool little book is a must-have for lovers of pulps, noir, dioramas, and innovative photography.
Photography Brought to Life Apr 21, 2011
By Andrea Goldberg
In the book "Uncovered," Thomas Allen breaks the two-dimensional boundaries of photography, with his thrilling series of pulp fiction cutouts. From rowdy pirates and cowboys to alluring heroines, Allen's characters jump off the page and come to life, setting the scene for the viewer to then create his or her own narrative. What is even more impressive about his work is that he does everything from sifting through books to find the perfect combinations of figures, constructing and staging the scenes, to lighting and composing the image, all without any digital manipulation. The 4x5 camera that he uses creates the intense focus shifts that make the characters seem to pop right off the page.
I was first introduced to this series of Allen's photographs on his website where I immediately fell in love with them. But it was only after picking up a copy of this book that I was able to fully appreciate the true genius of his work. The experience of holding this book and flipping through its thick cardboard pages awakens your sense of touch and sight, creating the sensation that you could reach down and pick up the figures as if they were actually sitting in front of you. His photographs are meant to spark the viewer's imagination. Each figure and scene has a different feeling and personality, yet the ambiguity of what is happening allows for more than one story to be told and for each individual to create his or her own version.
The overall simplicity and originality of his work is inspiring. The illusions that Allen creates with his photographs never cease to amaze me. To see such powerful images created out of something as simple as an old book, is a refreshing break from the digital, manipulated world that photography has fallen into.
Its twenty-seven four-color images speak largely for themselves Jul 11, 2008
By Midwest Book Review
The debut monograph of photography artist Thomas Allen, Uncovered: Photographs by Thomas Allen presents surprisingly lascivious images from pulp paperbacks of bygone decades, constructed into humorous and witty scenes (utilizing no digital aftereffects at all!). For example, in "Thirst" a sexy woman reaches her hand toward a man with a bottle on an adjacent volume, while in "Teeter" a man losing his balance is about to hit a precariously stacked set of paperbacks. A board book with a die-cut cover, Uncovered lets its twenty-seven four-color images speak largely for themselves. A treat for anyone who fondly remembers the trashy novel covers of yesteryear, featuring a wealth of creativity and re-imagining of bygone themes.
See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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