Pictures for Charis — Kelli Connell. Published by Aperture.
I’ve chosen three books that intrigue but don’t overwhelm me. I craved modesty this year and that need has persisted in these troubled, ego-driven days.
I keep returning to Kelli Connell’s deeply researched examination of the relationship between Edward Weston, Charis Wilson Weston, and the photographs that were much more of a collaboration than we’ve been led to believe. Connell’s own road-trip relationship with her partner Betsy intensifies the appeal, and her photographs engage on many levels. It’s an epic tale told with first-person humility. Kelli’s own writing costars in this book; it’s as though she is channeling Edward and Charis simultaneously.
George Slade is a regular contributor to photo eye’s blog. He lives in Minneapolis.