I love the gift-giving process. Contemplating and selecting the right present for someone I know gives me a lot of pleasure. I love receiving presents as well, but that's another post.
The boyfriend had a birthday last weekend. For months I had thought I knew exactly what I was going to get him, having done the research at Christmas. Then on the spur of the moment, I went to Dashwood Books. The boyfriend and I have a history of going to photography shows: Lee Freedlander at MOMA; Stephen Shore at ICP; Ten Years in Focus: The Artist and the Camera at the Getty; William Eggleston at The Whitney. Why not a good photography monograph?
At the store, David Strettell was lovely. I threw the names of a couple of photographers at him and he pulled books from the shelves for me to consider. Then I talked about my personal preferences and he pulled more books for me to enjoy.
Forty-five minutes later, I settled on Robert Adams' "The New West" and Henry Wessel's "Night Walk." Present-hunting aside, I loved learning about why Sam Haskin's "Five Girls" was special. Apart from the great-looking girls, the printing process produced very rich, grainy textures and deep, deep blacks. I was more mesmerised by the blacks than anything else in the images. Leafing through Slim Aaron's "A Wonderful Time" was just a pleasure. The boyfriend loved the monographs.
There are all kinds of other places to find a boyfriend present or find a photography monograph, but why would I deny myself the great guidance and fun of going to Dashwood Books?
Dashwood Books
33 Bond Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 387 8520
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