Canadian Photography’s Best Kept Secret
Lovers of contemporary photography, will know the names of Canadian photographers Jeff Wall and Edward Burtynsky, but may not be familiar with the work of Robert Polidori.
Polidori was born in Montreal in 1951. He now works internationally. He is a staff photographer for the New Yorker. Over the past 10 years he has created a body of work that places him among the best photographers of our time.
Polidori has been publishing since 1991, but it wasn't until 2001 that prestigious German publisher, Steidl, published Polidori's first masterpiece, Havana. It is a stunning achievement: a love letter to the the faded grandeur of that city.
In 2003, Steidl published Polidori's most challenging work. Zones of Exclusion: Pripyat and Chernobyl is a close look at what remains after one of the defining disasters of the last century. These pictures are terrifying, yet strangely beautiful.
Robert Polidori's Metropolis, published in 2004 is a survey of his other projects. It is an absorbing read because each photo has a commentary by the photographer.
After the Flood, 2006, contains Polidori's photographs of New Orleans after the devastation of Katrina. The cover only hints at the shocking images of disaray within.
Parcours Muséologique Revisité, is Polidori's most ambitious project to date. For the past 25 years he's been taking pictues of the restoration of the Palace of Versailles in Paris. After careful editing 480 colour plates have been published in three volumes.
Polidori's Toronto dealer has a nice selection of Polidori's photographs.
9 thoughts on “Canadian Photography’s Best Kept Secret”
Interesting! What gems TRL has! Love the book covers.
How about The Ruins of Detroit which for which Polidori provided the introduction? It’s expensive, but the library should buy it.
Glad you liked it, Frances. More treasures to come! Yeah, Polidori’s covers are second to none.
aly, I noticed Ruins of Detroit, too. We are definitely going to be ordering it for the reference library. Watch for it in the library catalogue soon. Thanks for taking the time to suggest it. The library welcomes suggestions from customers!
This is great, I’ve never heard of Polidori until now. Fabulous book recommendations. I look forward to your next post where you’ll no doubt uncover more hidden treasures from the stacks.
Thanks, Shelley! You won’t be disappointed by the Polidori books. Lot’s more treasures at TRL!
Subtle colours, interesting textures and tons of character. Polidori’s pictures go beyond the image and they really seem to tell a story. Thanks for putting the spotlight on a great Canadian artist.
I agree with your comments, Dom, about Polidori. He really is great. Try to have a look at the books. They are special. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
He has a very unique photography style. I like the way he is able to capture the calm after the storm.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, CPS! I can’t wait to see what he does next.