Sleeping by the Mississippi (Special Edition)

Soth, Alec

ISBN 10: 1910164895 / ISBN 13: 9781910164891

Published by Mack Books, 0, 2017

About this Item

Alec Soth Sleeping by the Mississippi Special edition of 150 copies, each comprising a signed copy of the first printing of the MACK edition of the book, housed in a slipcase with a signed and numbered print [signed and numbered in pencil on back, 1/150 - 150/150] PLEASE NOTE Retail price will increase as the edition sells throug Sleeping by the Mississippi by Alec Soth is one of the defining publications in the photobook era. First published by Steidl in 2004, it was Soth?s first book, sold through three editions, and established him as one of the leading lights of contemporary photographic practice. This MACK edition launches to coincide with the first exhibition in London dedicated to the series at Beetles+Huxley gallery, and includes two new photographs that were not included in the previous versions of the book. Evolving from a series of road trips along the Mississippi River, Sleeping by the Mississippi captures America?s iconic yet oft-neglected ?third coast? Soth?s richly descriptive, large-format colour photographs present an eclectic mix of individuals, landscapes, and interiors. Sensuous in detail and raw in subject, Sleeping by the Mississippi elicits a consistent mood of loneliness, longing, and reverie. ?In the book?s 46 ruthlessly edited pictures?, writes Anne Wilkes Tucker in the original essay published in the book, ?Soth alludes to illness, procreation, race, crime, learning, art, music, death, religion, redemption, politics, and cheap sex.? Like Robert Frank?s classic The Americans, Sleeping by the Mississippi merges a documentary style with poetic sensibility. The Mississippi is less the subject of the book than its organizing structure. Not bound by a rigid concept or ideology, the series is created out of a quintessentially American spirit of wanderlust. Thirteen years since the book was first published, the artist?s lyrical view has undoubtedly acquired a nuanced significance ? one in which hope, fear, desire and regret coalesce in the evocative journey along this mythic river. Alec Soth (b. 1969) is a photographer born and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has published over twenty-five books including Sleeping by the Mississippi (2004), NIAGARA (2006), Broken Manual (2010) and Songbook (2015). Soth has had over fifty solo exhibitions including survey shows organized by Jeu de Paume in Paris (2008), the Walker Art Center in Minnesota (2010), Media Space in London (2015) and FotoMuseum in Antwerp (2017). Soth has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship (2013). In 2008, Soth created Little Brown Mushroom, a multi-media enterprise focused on visual storytelling. Soth is represented by Sean Kelly in New York, Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis, Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco, and is a member of Magnum Photos. Printed linen hardback 120 pages, 28 cm x 27.5 cm 48 colour plates ISBN 978-1-910164-89-1-S Publication date: September 2017.

Seller Inventory # 3481

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Sleeping by the Mississippi (Special Edition)
• Publisher: Mack Books, 0
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1910164895
• ISBN 13: 9781910164891
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Signed Photographic Books

About this title

Synopsis

Sleeping by the Mississippi by Alec Soth is one of the defining publications in the photobook era. First published by Steidl in 2004, it was Soth’s first book, sold through three print runs, and established him as one of the leading lights of contemporary photographic practice. This is the second printing of the MACK edition and includes two new photographs that were not included in the Steidl versions of the book. Evolving from a series of road trips along the Mississippi River, Sleeping by the Mississippi captures America’s iconic yet oft-neglected ‘third coast’. Soth’s richly descriptive, large-format colour photographs present an eclectic mix of individuals, landscapes, and interiors. Sensuous in detail and raw in subject, Sleeping by the Mississippi elicits a consistent mood of loneliness, longing, and reverie. ‘In the book’s 46 ruthlessly edited pictures’, writes Anne Wilkes Tucker in the original essay published in the book, ‘Soth alludes to illness, procreation, race, crime, learning, art, music, death, religion, redemption, politics, and cheap sex.’ Like Robert Frank’s classic The Americans, Sleeping by the Mississippi merges a documentary style with poetic sensibility. The Mississippi is less the subject of the book than its organizing structure. Not bound by a rigid concept or ideology, the series is created out of a quintessentially American spirit of wanderlust. Sixteen years since the book was first published, the artist’s lyrical view has undoubtedly acquired a nuanced significance – one in which hope, fear, desire and regret coalesce in the evocative journey along this mythic river.

About the Author

Alec Soth was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1969, where he still lives, works and teaches at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He has received fellowships from the McKnight and Jerome Foundations and was the recipient of the 2003 Santa Fe Prize for Photography. His photographs are in major public and private collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Walker Art Center.