Cohen, Lynne. Occupied Territory by Lynne Cohen. First edition, like new.

Aperture, 1987. Hardcover with protected dust jacket, both in excellent condition.  112 often humorous black-and-white photographs of interiors by Cohen.  Edited and designed by William A. Ewing.  Texts by David Byrne and David Mellor.  From the dust jacket rear inner panel: "Lynne Cohen is an independent photographer whose uncompromising vision is rapidly gaining her an appreciative following. Born in Wisconsin, she studied painting and sculpture before turning to photography, a medium more responsive to her needs." Summary:

Occupied Territory (1987), the first monograph by Canadian-American photographer Lynne Cohen, is a seminal work of "deadpan" conceptual photography. The book features a series of stark, black-and-white images of interior spaces—classrooms, laboratories, offices, and military facilities—that appear eerily devoid of human life yet are saturated with human "intent."

Core Themes and Architectural Critique

• The "Ready-Made" Installation: Cohen treated found interior spaces as if they were deliberate art installations. She sought out environments that felt "over-designed"—places where every chair, diagram, and partition was placed for a specific, often bureaucratic or clinical, purpose.

• The Surveillance of the Mundane: The book explores the feeling of being "occupied" by institutions. By photographing social control centers (like police training rooms or health spas), Cohen highlights how architecture and furniture are used to manage, observe, and "correct" human behavior.

• Absence as Presence: While the rooms are empty, the "Occupied" of the title refers to the invisible presence of the people who inhabit these spaces. The viewer is forced to wonder: What happened here just before the shutter clicked? What is about to happen?

Visual and Technical Style

• Forensic Clarity: Cohen used a large-format view camera (8x10) to achieve an astonishing level of detail. Her style is sharp and clinical, mirroring the sterile nature of the environments she photographed.

• The Symmetrical Eye: The compositions are often rigidly centered and symmetrical, creating a sense of "coldness" and authority. This style influenced an entire generation of photographers, including the famous "Düsseldorf School."