Into the Fire by Matt Stuart. Published by Setanta Publishing.
A tidy little book documenting the people who live or pass through this place called Slab City, located in the California desert on an abandoned army base. Beautiful color, documentary-style images that go deep inside this community of rugged individuals, revealing true insight into their world, for better and for worse, bringing poetry and grace to a chaotic and thorny subject matter. I love the boots on the ground that get into people’s spaces-type photography, and this is a real fly-on-the-wall look into a type of culture you often drive by and wonder, “What’s going on in there?” This book delivers that sneak peek.
Honorable Mentions:
The White Sky by Mimi Plumb
Let the Sun Beheaded Be by Gregory Halpern
Ed Templeton (born 1972 Lives and works in Huntington Beach, CA) — A respected cult figure in the subculture of skateboarding, his paintings, photographs, drawings, and mixed-media installations take their inspiration from the subculture he is a part of and the suburban environment he lives in. Templeton is also a two-time world-champion professional skateboarder, and the founder/creator of Toy Machine skateboard company. In 2016 he was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. His work has been shown in museums worldwide including, MOCA, Los Angeles, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, S.M.A.K. Museum, Belgium, Bonnefanten Museum, Netherlands, Kunsthalle, Vienna, Pier 24 Photography Museum, San Francisco, and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, UK.
ed-templeton.com
@ed.templeton