On Second Glance: MIDWEST PHOTOGRAPHS (Visions of Illinois)

Book Overview

Without the evident drama of treacherous glaciers or mountain peaks, the midwestern landscape may - on first glance - appear commonplace. But those who look again will find an uncommon beauty as eloquent as that of the highest waterfall. With this distinctive collection of photographs, Larry Kanfer uncovers anew the drama of the prairie's changing skies and seasons and celebrates the serene dignity of the Midwest. Elsewhere there are physical changes, states Kanfer, but here the changes are chronological. In my photographs I show time - seasonal change, the cycles of life. That's where the beauty lies. As in his highly acclaimed earlier collection, Prairiescapes, Kanfer presents his own unmistakable vision of the vast heartland. Karla Vallance on National Public Radio described Prairiescapes as capturing the uncelebrated fields and streams around the town where I grew up and turning the water of those ordinary places in mundane moments into the wine of art. His photographs are breathtaking in their amazing grace. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post Book World said, It may take a patient and discerning eye to find beauty in the flat landscape of the American prairie, but beauty is just what Larry Kanfer has found. With On Second Glance, Kanfer points as well to the overlooked details of the heartland. From Flatville to Foosland, from Santa Claus to Montezuma, Kanfer creates a remarkable portrayal of the working farmland of Illinois and Indiana. His photographs take on the seasonal splendors of sky and silo, of setting sun and rising grain. A compelling collection by one of the Midwest's finest landscape photographers, On Second Glance makes an elegant gift for anyone withfriends or memories in the heartland.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252019687
• ISBN13: 9780252019685
• Release Date: October 1992
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 11.9" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

worth a look

On Second Glance seems to be an encore presentation of Kanfer's earlier book of midwestern landscapes, Prairiescapes. Like many native midwesterners, I feel connected to the land in ways I can't explain, but Kanfer's photographs can do the talking for us. Kanfer's photographs are not what you may be expecting--it's hard to imagine, but as you may well find yourself drawn into his landscapes, reminiscing about how grandma used to have a porch like that, and what is that on the horizon? You can hear the crackle of fall leaves underfoot, and the sweet smell of spring in gently swaying greenery. You will find scenes to remind you of every hike or picnic in the country you ever intended to have.This book belongs on every coffee table and gift list for those with any midwestern roots or daydreamers enjoying a simpler, less complicated life. If you love photography, or landscapes in general, you will also appreciate the composition and technical skills evident, and that Kanfer at least appears to be a purist in these works (no touch-ups or manipulations). I have recommended this book to many people, and all of them have loved both giving and receiving it; I hope you will, too.