Picturing Joy
Stories of Connection
George Lange’s emotive, retrospective photography collection Picturing Joy captures the personalities of his subjects. In one exuberant image, a group of young African refugees plays on the beach, their likenesses caught mid-leap. Another picture focuses on Spike Lee; though he often seems dour in photographs by others, in Lange’s image, he is shown with a shy smile on his face and is photographed with children. Another shot shows the Violent Femmes peering out of the windshield of a car on a frosty night, illustrating the rigors of touring; their lack of pretension characterizes the alternative 1980s music scene.
Lange’s brief accompanying essays are full of anecdotes about public figures; he serves as a witness to moments in which people become vulnerable and reveal their true selves. Of a session with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, who were photographed together while taunting each other under their breath, Lange remembers Jobs saying to Gates “You may tie me but you’ll never beat me.”
Picturing Joy is a striking collection of photographs and essays by a talented and insightful artist.
Reviewed by
Matt Benzing
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
