Kenna, Michael. Michael Kenna: Twenty Year Retrospective Two.

Nazraeli, 2004. First edition stated. Fine in hardcover with fine protected dust jacket. 130 plates, excellently reproduced in the original size of Kenna's black and white prints.  Photographs taken in Japan, France, Russia, Easter Island, Spain, Michigan (The Rouge, Dearborn), and England (Raticliffe Power Station). Summary:

Michael Kenna: Retrospective Two is a large-format photography monograph by British landscape photographer Michael Kenna, published by Nazraeli Press as a companion volume to his earlier A Twenty Year Retrospective. The book presents an expansive overview of Kenna’s landscape photography created between 1994 and 2004, showcasing 130 black-and-white images that reflect the depth and evolution of his vision during that decade.

Kenna is known for his minimalist, contemplative landscapes—often photographed at dawn or night, with subtle use of long exposures that render serene, dreamlike scenes where natural elements and human-made structures interact in quiet tension. His work emphasizes atmospheric conditions, light, and composition, creating images that feel poetic and meditative rather than documentary.

The book features an introduction titled “Inventing Peace” by Anne W. Tucker, curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which explores Kenna’s relationship to contemporary photographic ideas and the philosophical underpinnings of his practice. The selection of photographs spans a variety of landscapes and locales, reflecting Kenna’s global travels and his consistent aesthetic of quietude and simplicity.

Overall, Retrospective Two functions both as a visual journey through a significant period in Kenna’s artistic output and as a testament to his influence as one of the most respected landscape photographers of his generation.

Michael Kenna (born 1953) is an acclaimed English landscape photographer celebrated for his ethereal, minimalist black-and-white images and exquisite gelatin silver contact prints. Born into a working-class family in Widnes, England, he studied photography at the London College of Printing before relocating to San Francisco in 1977, where he worked as a printmaker for renowned photographer Ruth Bernhard. Kenna developed a signature aesthetic defined by square-format compositions, delicate atmospheric contrast, and long exposures—often lasting several hours or shot at night—that turn moving water, weather, and light into meditative visual forms. Focusing on quiet interactions between natural topography and human-made structures, his vast body of work spans extensive series in Japan, Europe, and industrial landscapes like Michigan’s Rouge plant. Honored as a Chevalier in the French Order of Arts and Letters, Kenna has published dozens of photobooks and is held in major permanent museum collections worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery of Art.