Tir A'Mhurain by Basil Davidson
In 1954 Paul Strand and his wife Hazel Kingsbury Strand spent three months traversing the rugged island of South Uist, off the west coast of Scotland. Tir a’Mhurain is a collection of photographs that reflects the impressions they gathered during their stay. Juxtaposing people and landscape, Strand’s beautifully sequenced photographs depict the perfect complicity he saw between nature and habitation in this wild terrain. Whether it is a view of the rocks and the sea or a grinning shepherd boy; scudding clouds hanging over seaside houses or the wrinkled face of an old lady framed by a knitted shawl, Strand’s images transcend the ephemeral. This extended portrait captures the essence and the complexity of a singular place. In the spirit of Aperture’s editions of Strand’s classic works La France de Profil (2001) and Un Paese (1997), this volume celebrates the wholesome beauty of everyday life.
Paul Strand (born in New York in 1890; died in Orgeval, France, 1976) is one of photography’s great modernist masters. He began photographing at the age of eighteen while a student at the Ethical Culture High School. An acknowledged artist of still photography, in 1921 he turned to film. In 1945 the Museum of Modern Art devoted its first one-person photography exhibition to Strand’s work. Two years later he collaborated with Nancy Newhall on a project that was published as Time in New England, the first of Strand’s innovative photographic books. It was followed by La France de Profil, Un paese, and Tir a’Mhurain. In 1967, he was awarded the David Octavius Hill Medal. Strand’s work is represented in museums and private collections throughout the world.
Catherine Duncan (born in Tasmania, 1915; died in Paris, 2006) met the Strands soon after their arrival in Paris, in 1950. During the latter years of their friendship she worked closely with Strand on texts for his books and portfolios. Following his death, she wrote the biographical narrative for Paul Strand: The World on My Doorstep, 1950–1976 (Aperture, 1994).
Basil Davidson (born in Bristol, England, 1914; died in 2010) wrote for the Economist from 1931 to 1939, and served in the British Army as a lieutenant colonel during World War II. After the war, he was Paris correspondent for several newspapers and wrote more than thirty books on Africa, including The Lost Cities of Africa.
Catherine Duncan (born in Tasmania, 1915; died in Paris, 2006) met the Strands soon after their arrival in Paris, in 1950. During the latter years of their friendship she worked closely with Strand on texts for his books and portfolios. Following his death, she wrote the biographical narrative for Paul Strand: The World on My Doorstep, 1950–1976 (Aperture, 1994).
Basil Davidson (born in Bristol, England, 1914; died in 2010) wrote for the Economist from 1931 to 1939, and served in the British Army as a lieutenant colonel during World War II. After the war, he was Paris correspondent for several newspapers and wrote more than thirty books on Africa, including The Lost Cities of Africa.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780893819934 |
| ISBN 10 | 089381993X |
| Title | Tir A'Mhurain |
| Author | Strand Paul |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Aperture |
| Year published | 2004-07-01 |
| Number of pages | 128 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |