Critique
Critique (established 1999) is the regular Eye column by Rick Poynor.
Instant object of desire
A Polaroid photo’s aura of ephemeral uniqueness lies in its small white frame and supercharged surface. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Whiteness made strange
A brave, if flawed book of artists’ photographs addresses racism through the lens of white privilege. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Scalpel sharp
A UK retrospective examines the explosive photomontages of feminist artist Linder, from the shock of her punk collages to pictures that juxtapose provocation with flowers and dance
Among the spirits
Nadav Kander’s poetic and mysterious portraits of celebrities steal the limelight in his new book The Meeting. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Four-wheeled dreams
A new book of photographs of cars fails to acknowledge the bigger picture. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Traces of longing
For Belgian collagist Katrien De Blauwer, making work is both an obsession and an act of therapy. By Rick Poynor
Defiance and revelation
A new book of Peter Kennard’s work adds context and background detail to his angry, radical photomontages. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Banquet of images
For its 50th anniversary, the Arles festival stages a
generous array of contemporary and historical
exhibitions. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor.
Nature in captivity
Luigi Ghirri’s rigorously composed pictures of
plants outside people’s homes exercise a banal fascination. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
A confederacy of lunches
A text-only book argues that ‘social’ photography is more about self-documentation than aesthetics. By Rick Poynor