Field Studies

This is UK photographer Stephen Gill's guide to his own particular world of objects, scenes and the things we do--so familiar and obvious that they fall below the usual threshold of the average personís attention. An original first book featuring eight series of photographs made in South East England--from lost people and the backs of advertising billboards to people gazing vacantly out the window of the London-to-Southend train--Gill's visual scrutiny of the everyday combines humor, formal rigor and empathy towards his human subjects. Text by Stephen Gill and introduction by humorist and television director, Jon Ronson.

Stephen Gill was born in Bristol, England in 1971, a committed photographer since a teenager. He developed his unique approach - combining conceptualism with striking empathy for his human subjects - while working for Magnum Photos, and accepted his first assignment, for the New York Times Magazine, in 1997. Widely regarded as a key young European artist, Gill has had one person shows at the Photographers Gallery, London, Museum of Architecture, Moscow, and the Arles Festival of Photography, France. His work is widely published in magazines including Blind Spot, Doubletake, New York Times Magazine, Sunday Times, Granta, Tank, Dazed and Confused, The Guardian Magazine and Colors.