| Title | : | The Spirit of Family |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0805068945 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780805068948 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 |
| Publication | : | First published October 8, 2002 |
The American family has undergone dramatic changes in the last two generations, as interfaith and interracial marriage, new gender and age configurations, and different roles have created increasingly complex emotional and spiritual bonds. In The Spirit of Family, Al and Tipper Gore chart this evolution in an entirely fresh way, with 260 black-and-white and color images from many of the country's most acclaimed photographers-including Tina Barney, Mitch Epstein, Lee Friedlander, Sally Mann, Mary Ellen Mark, Nicholas Nixon-and from rising stars such as Gerald Cyrus, Arlene Gottfried, and Jennette Williams. The result is a visual narrative that brilliantly illustrates the traditional stages of life and the unique challenges and opportunities facing today's families. The perfect complement to the Gores' equally eye-opening book about family, Joined at the Heart, this astonishing collection of photographs offers a powerful vision of our most essential relationships.
The Spirit of Family Reviews
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I have always been curious about what draws a person to another, so that they desire to become a family unit, with or without children. This book is a beautiful example of social documentary photography. It shows people big and small; tall and short; light and dark; lovely and homely; poor and rich, surrounded by their families in their homes, out in nature, walking the streets of their cities, in stores and markets and restaurants. You may not notice it at first, but it chronicles the stages of life, and throughout it's peppered with fantastic quotes expounding on these life stages. At this age in my life, this one's meaning I understand: "Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death." I'm so happy I picked this book off a library shelf on a whim and read it.
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Nice Diverse Selection of Photographs displaying a range of American family types
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With a sentimental title and politician authors, this book might seem to have little to offer. But it's short on commentary—an innocuous three-page preface is the only text outside of credits—and long on what are truly artful, unexpected, and often fascinating photos. There are 256 photos included, from more than 15,000 considered, according to the preface. They were well-chosen.
The elephant in the room with this book about family is the Gore's own separated relationship. But that must be put aside, for the work sings. Tipper's role in shaping the collection was likely great; the dust jacket notes that she's a former photojournalist who twice curated national traveling exhibits of photography. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, the selections (her selections?) are almost all worthwhile, and only a handful of photographers are featured multiple times.
I particularly appreciated the work of Jennette Williams, Birney Imes, and Alex Webb. But this is a collection with impressive quality and range: favorites are difficult to pick. And many will stick with me.
