




Approaching the Shadow
2000
First edition of Approaching the Shadow by Jerry N. Uelsmann. First impression. Medium format hardback in fine condition.
About
In the 1950s, when he was a student at Minor White, Jerry Uelsmann was commissioned to photograph ‘sinister-looking’ entrances. That’s how Uelsmann discovered he was fascinated by dark, foreboding images. For “Approaching the Shadow,” Uelsmann selected 57 photographs taken over a period of about 40 years, and each is a wholly personal metaphor for “those dark, evocative images hidden behind the threshold of awareness.” Most of these images have never been published before. The project, as a whole, offers a new perspective with respect to the artist’s visual research. In the precious Japanese paper print, “Approaching the Shadow” offers an important contribution to the literature concerning this contemporary U.S. artist. Jerry Uelsmann’s photographs belong to both major American and European collections and have been exhibited worldwide. Bill Jay’s introduction describes the impact of Uelsmann’s images after their introduction to Britain in the late 1960s.