Tress, Arthur. Planets by Arthur Tress.

Portfolio Book Series Number Seven. Lodima Press, 2007. Edition of 1,000. Very good in wraps with crimps near right edge of cover and pages. Printed in 600-line screen quadtone. [Lodima is renowned for its high quality reproductions of photographs.] Extra bar code label on back from a bookseller.  Summary:

Planets (published in 2007 by Lodima Press) is a slim, elegant photography monograph by acclaimed American photographer Arthur Tress. Issued as part of the publisher's prestigious Portfolios Series (Volume 17), the book was printed in a limited run of 1,000 copies using high-fidelity, 600-line screen quadtone printing.

The monograph marks a distinct stylistic departure for Tress, who is historically celebrated for his surreal, staged "magic realism" and narrative psychodramas (such as The Dream Collector).

Key Themes and Visual Style

• The Tondo (Circular) Format: The defining feature of Planets is its use of perfectly circular frames—traditionally known in art as the tondo format. Rather than looking out at literal astronomy, the camera acts as a metaphorical "telescopic porthole," isolating ordinary earthly structures and textures to make them resemble uncharted, interstellar worlds orbiting the cosmos.

• Return to Mid-Century Modernism: Developed between 2003 and 2004, the series highlights Tress's return to traditional black-and-white gelatin silver photography. Moving away from his heavily staged theatrical setups of the 1970s and 1980s, these images rely on a spontaneous shooting style heavily influenced by mid-century abstract modernism and Russian Constructivism.

• Abstract Architectural Geometries: The 14 featured reproductions capture tight, geometric patterns, curves, and angles found in contemporary urban architecture and infrastructure. By stripping away surrounding context, Tress transforms everyday steel, concrete, and shadows into minimalist, cosmic landscapes.

• Molecular Wonder: Accompanied by an introductory statement from Tress himself, the book frames the portfolio as a philosophical exploration of the "archetypical and the ordinary." Tress aims to surprise the viewer's subconscious, inviting them to find infinite, galaxy-like patterns hidden within the micro-details of the physical world.

Significance

Planets highlights Arthur Tress’s immense versatility as an artist. It showcases his evolution from a pioneer of staged directorial fiction into a master of pure, formalist abstraction—demonstrating how a simple shift in framing can elevate mundane urban design into a poetic meditation on the universe.