Michael Kenna: Rouge

More than twenty years after its initial publication, Michael Kenna’s seminal collection of photographs of the Ford River Rouge industrial complex is now available in a new, revised, and expanded edition. One of the world’s most acclaimed photographers working exclusively in black-and-white, Michael Kenna has traveled the world to create stunning, magical images of nature and manmade objects. Known for the ethereal tone and incredibly nuanced detail of his photographs, Kenna is also a chronicler of environmental degradation. His images of an auto plant outside of Detroit, Michigan, are some of his best-known works. Long out of print, Rouge has been brought back to life with a spectacular new design, an authoritative essay by art historian James Steward, and many previously unpublished images that were part of the original series. As the city of Detroit struggles to reclaim its heritage as an American commercial and artistic hub, these photographs resonate more than ever with the stark realities and hidden beauty of the industrial landscape.

James Steward is Director of the Princeton University Art Museum in Princeton, New Jersey.