Golden, Judith. Cycles. A Decade of Photographs by Judith Golden.

Friends of Photography, 1988. Issued as Untitled 45. [Hand-colored portraits and self-portraits.] Fine, wraps (as issued). Summary:

Cycles: A Decade of Photographs is a significant exhibition catalog and monograph celebrating the pioneering work of American artist Judith Golden. This publication highlights Golden's role as a forerunner in incorporating popular cultural imagery into contemporary photography, documenting her conceptual and stylistic evolution over a highly productive ten-year period.

• Deconstruction of Mass Media: The core of the monograph focuses on Golden's critical exploration of feminist issues and the representation of women in popular media. By utilizing imagery from fashion magazines, advertisements, and Hollywood films, her work dissects the construction of female identity and societal expectations.

• The Persona and the Self: The collection features several of Golden’s landmark series, such as Ode to Hollywood, People Magazine, and Chameleon, where she frequently uses herself as the photographic model. Through these self-portraits, she acts as a shape-shifter, assuming different personas to examine the boundary between reality and manufactured myth.

• Mixed-Media and Hand-Alteration: The monograph showcases Golden's innovative technical approach, which blends photography with printmaking, painting, and direct hand-coloring. By physically altering the surface of her prints with paint, pencil, and collage, she challenges the traditional, straight documentary nature of the photographic medium.

• Critical Essays and Dialogue: The volume is anchored by an insightful essay titled "Mask and Transformation" by Claire V.C. Peeps, alongside an in-depth interview with Golden conducted by James L. Enyeart, providing rich context on her creative philosophy.

Note: Photographic artist Judith Golden, born November 29, 1934, in Chicago, began to be widely exhibited and published beginning in the 1970s.  Golden, who specialized in mixed media that included photographs, described herself as follows: "I am an alchemist. With the magic of photography, I transform reality into the mystical realm of myth, dreams and spirit."