Synopses & Reviews
Even within the academy, philosophers are often thought of as a breed unto themselves, grasping and theorizing the world in a highly cerebral manner that can be inscrutable to those outside philosophy. Well-known portrait and landscape photographer Steve Pyke shows that they are also ideal subjects for portraiture, having photographed them for almost 20 years. This volume collects about 100 black and white portraits of contemporary philosophers, photographed in Pyke's distinctive style -- many of them shot very close-up to the subject's face with a narrow depth of field. The effect of this style is unpredictable but always revealing, showing insight into personality but also shedding new light on the philosophical temperament. The facing page of each portrait will contain a brief piece written by the subject on the nature of philosophy and their place in it.
These fascinating portraits -- which include virtually every major philosopher working today in the US, UK, and Europe today, including Anthony Appiah, Robert Brandom, David Chalmers, Noam Chomsky, Jurgen Habermas, Saul Kripke, Tom Nagel, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, and Charles Taylor among others -- will be of great value and interest to both those in the field, those connected to it, and anyone interested in the art of portrait photography.
Synopsis
Steve Pyke, a photographer whose work is a regular feature of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, is known for his stunning portraits of prominent authors, artists, actors, and intellectuals. In this riveting collection, which he has been working on for twenty-five years, Pyke presents 100 black-and-white portraits of contemporary philosophers, photographed in his distinctive style. The effect of his technique can be startling but always revealing, showing insight into personality while shedding new light on the philosophical temperament. These fascinating portraits feature virtually every major philosopher working in the West, including Anthony Appiah, David Chalmers, Umberto Eco, Ruth Marcus, Richard Rorty, Roger Scruton, and Peter Singer, among others. The facing page of each portrait contains a brief piece written by the subject on the nature of philosophy and their place in it. For this volume, Arthur C. Danto has written a foreword and Jason Stanley has interviewed Pyke. Both a who's who of philosophy today and a stunning gallery of captivating images, this marvelous volume is the long-awaited sequel to Pyke's original collection, published in 1993.
About the Author
Steve Pyke has worked for many of the world's leading magazines, has published ten books, and has exhibited his photographs widely in Europe and the USA.