{"product_id":"roberts-holly-holly-roberts-untitled-50","title":"Roberts, Holly. Holly Roberts. Untitled 50. Signed!","description":"\u003cp\u003eUntitled 50.  First and only edition, first and only printing. Signed in black ink on the half-title page by Roberts. Photographically illustrated stiff wrappers. Painted photographs by Holly Roberts from an exhibition held at the Ansel Adams Center in San Francisco.  Introduction by David Featherstone. 56 pages with 37 four-color plates. 10 x 9-5\/8 inches. Like new. Summary:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eHolly Roberts\u003c\/b\u003e (Untitled 50), published in 1990 by the Friends of Photography, is a significant monograph that explores the blurred boundaries between \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"150\"\u003ephotography and painting\u003c\/b\u003e. This volume serves as a comprehensive look at Roberts' unique process of physical manipulation and emotional abstraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThe Hybrid Technique\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eRoberts is best known for her \"photo-paintings.\" Her process, as detailed in this collection, involves:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Foundation:\u003c\/b\u003e Using her own silver gelatin photographs—often of people, animals, or Southwestern landscapes—as a base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Transformation:\u003c\/b\u003e Overpainting the photographs with thick layers of oil paint. She obscures much of the original image, leaving only fragments (like a face or a hand) to anchor the work in reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePhysicality:\u003c\/b\u003e The work is highly textural, featuring visible brushstrokes and scraped surfaces that give the images a primitive, raw quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eThemes and Imagery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePsychological Depth:\u003c\/b\u003e The book highlights Roberts’ ability to manifest internal emotional states. By painting over the subjects, she strips away their specific identity to reveal universal themes of fear, loneliness, and spiritual connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAnimism:\u003c\/b\u003e A recurring motif in the monograph is the relationship between humans and animals. Her figures often appear mid-metamorphosis, drawing heavily on the mythic and folk traditions of the American Southwest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eMinimalist Backgrounds:\u003c\/b\u003e Most subjects are isolated against stark, monochromatic, or heavily textured voids, emphasizing a sense of existential drama.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eCritical Context\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003eAs part of the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"15\"\u003eUntitled\u003c\/b\u003e series—a prestigious publication line from the Friends of Photography—this book positioned Roberts as a leader in the \"Post-Documentary\" movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eEssays:\u003c\/b\u003e The volume typically includes insightful commentary (notably by David Featherstone) that situates her work within the context of contemporary art, rather than traditional straight photography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e It features high-quality reproductions that capture the subtle tonal shifts between the underlying photographic gray and the vibrant, often dark, oil pigments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eSignificance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eHolly Roberts (Untitled 50)\u003c\/i\u003e is essential for understanding the subjective turn in photography during the late 1980s. It stands as a testament to the idea that a photograph does not have to be a literal record, but can serve as a canvas for complex, mythic, and deeply personal storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gary Saretzky Photo Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47655837728962,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0593\/3115\/0018\/files\/IMG_1670.jpg?v=1778620877","url":"https:\/\/store.saretzky.com\/products\/roberts-holly-holly-roberts-untitled-50","provider":"Gary Saretzky Photo Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}