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Frank Gohlke

Frank Gohlke was one of the photographers included in the 1975 New Topographics (thanks I.T.) exhibition at Rochester House, New York. Curated by William Jenkins it was visited by few, hardly reviewed and yet its re-invigoration of the landscape genre is still felt today.  A couple of days ago a copy of Gohlke's 'Landscapes From The Middle World' arrived from America.  It's in great condition despite only costing a few dollars and despite being a softcover book printed in 1988 the images still look fabulous, with wide tonality and super detail.  Gohlke may be the one of the lesser known of the group but his images and his relentlessness (or should that be 'restlessness'?) are impressive.  I find the minimal look with its quiet, careful restraint to be thrilling.  The images are often laden with a pensive awareness of the presence of transformative forces, both, as here, with the presence of mankind in city and countryside, but also, in his other catastrophe projects, depicting the outcomes of hugely destructive natural forces.