Polaroid Close-Up. Volume 13, Number 2. November 1982. David Hockney, Bill Burke, et al.

Large format glossy magazine, not limited to Polaroid photography, with heavy weight illustrated wraps. This issue includes "David Hockney: Polaroid Composites," by Carter Ratcliff; " Image and Likeness: Thoughts on Some Recent Photographs by Bill Burke and John Coplans" by Ben Lifson; "Moments of Light: Photographs of the Middle East by Felix Bonfils," by Jeffrey Simpson (includes four page foldout panorama of Beirut); "The Invisible Universe," by Eric Chaisson," and others. Vert good condition with a few crimps and rubbing on cover. Summary:

Polaroid Close-Up (Vol. 13, No. 2, November 1982) is a prominent, large-format corporate-arts magazine published by the Corporate Communications Group of the Polaroid Corporation. The 48-page issue serves as an upscale critical arena exploring the conceptual and technical boundaries of contemporary photography, bringing together major art critics, photographers, and multi-disciplinary writers.

Core Content & Featured Essays

1. David Hockney's Polaroid Composites

The definitive highlight of the issue is an in-depth feature written by a noted art critic analyzing British artist David Hockney's radical experimentation with instant film grids. The text explores how Hockney assembled dozens of individual Polaroid prints into massive, fractured photographic cubist collages, using the immediacy of the medium to reinvent spatial perspective and draw lines between traditional painting and modern photo-assemblages.

2. Image, Likeness, and Contemporary Identity

The volume features a significant critical essay that utilizes the distinctly raw, unflinching documentary work of Bill Burke and the abstract, monumental self-studies of John Coplans to interrogate mid-century notions of portraiture and the human form. The analysis actively examines how the photographic medium captures personal or cultural identity through these contrasting visual styles.

3. Intersections of History, Art, and Science

True to the magazine's editorial mandate, the issue balances contemporary portfolio showcases with diverse literary and technical perspectives. The contributor roster weaves together historical context and scientific curiosity with visual arts, bringing a multi-disciplinary approach to the magazine's broader thematic framework.

Published during a golden era of experimental instant photography, this issue of Polaroid Close-Upillustrates the corporate giant's unique historical role. By financing a magazine that gave serious critics the space to analyze masterworks, Polaroid successfully positioned its instant film products not merely as commercial conveniences, but as legitimate tools for the fine-art avant-garde.