MARIPOSAS NOCTURNAS: MOTHS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA: A STUDY IN BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY - Rare Near-Fine Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing: Signed by Emmet Gowin - ONLY SIGNED COPY ONLINE

Gowin, Emmet (Photographer) & Tempest Williams, Terry (Contributor)

ISBN 10: 0691176892 / ISBN 13: 9780691176895

Published by Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2017, 2017

About this Item

1st Printing. Signed. 144 pages. Published in 2017. Retrospective collection of color photographs. One of the most beautiful and important photography books of our time. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only by a Univeristy Press. A brilliant production by Emmet Gowin: Oversize-volume format. A "coffee-table" book. Pictorial hard boards with titles on spine, as issued. Photographs and text by Emmet Gowin. Essay by Terry Tempest Williams. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper to the highest standards. In pictorial DJ with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Presents Emmet Gowin's "Mariposas Nocturnas: Moths of Central And South America: A Study In Beauty And Diversity". Beyond treasurable. A stunningly beautiful taxonomy-portrait of the nocturnal moths of Central and South America, in all of their seemingly infinite diversity. "For the past fifteen years, Emmet Gowin has been engaged in a profound project on a massive scale, capturing the exquisite beauty of more than one thousand species of nocturnal moths in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Panama. These color portraits present the moths, many of which have never been photographed as living specimens before, and some of which will never be seen again. Arrayed in typologies of twenty-five per sheet, the moths are photographed alive, in natural positions and postures, and set against a variety of backgrounds taken from the natural world and images from art history. Throughout Gowin's distinguished career, his work has addressed urgent concerns. The arresting images of 'Mariposas Nocturnas' extend his reach, as Gowin fosters awareness for a part of Nature that is generally left un-observed, and calls for a greater awareness of the bio-diversity and value of the tropics as a universally shared natural treasure" (Publisher's blurb). Gowin also provides a fascinating personal history of his work with biologists, and describes in detail the photographic process behind his extraordinary, first-of-its-kind project. "The world is saturated with loveliness, inhabited by others far more adept at living with uncertainty than we are" (Terry Tempest Williams). An absolute "must-have" title for Emmet Gowin collectors. This copy is very prominently, neatly, and beautifully signed in black ink-pen on the title page by Emmet Gowin. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a contemporary art photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and despite its imperfection (bumping on the bottom corners, obtained as such from the photographer) is still in fine condition overall: Every single internal page is clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Now 80 years old (as of 2019), Gowin did NOT sign most copies. Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. 90 twenty-five-per-sheet, full-color typological plates, 2 black-and-white portraits. One of the finest American photographers of our time. A fine copy. ISBN 0691176892.

Seller Inventory # 21582

Bibliographic Details

• Title: MARIPOSAS NOCTURNAS: MOTHS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA: A STUDY IN BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY - Rare Near-Fine Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing: Signed by Emmet Gowin - ONLY SIGNED COPY ONLINE
• Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691176892
• ISBN 13: 9780691176895
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author

About this title

Synopsis

A stunning portrait of the nocturnal moths of Central and South America by famed American photographer Emmet Gowin American photographer Emmet Gowin (b. 1941) is best known for his portraits of his wife, Edith, and their family, as well as for his images documenting the impact of human activity upon landscapes around the world. For the past fifteen years, he has been engaged in an equally profound project on a different scale, capturing the exquisite beauty of more than one thousand species of nocturnal moths in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Panama. These stunning color portraits present the insects--many of which may never have been photographed as living specimens before, and some of which may not be seen again--arrayed in typologies of twenty-five per sheet. The moths are photographed alive, in natural positions and postures, and set against a variety of backgrounds taken from the natural world and images from art history. Throughout Gowin's distinguished career, his work has addressed urgent concerns. The arresting images of Mariposas Nocturnas extend this reach, as Gowin fosters awareness for a part of nature that is generally left unobserved and calls for a greater awareness of the biodiversity and value of the tropics as a universally shared natural treasure. An essay by Gowin provides a fascinating personal history of his work with biologists and introduces both the photographic and philosophical processes behind this extraordinary project. Essential reading for audiences both in photography and natural history, this lavishly illustrated volume reminds readers that, as Terry Tempest Williams writes in her foreword, "The world is saturated with loveliness, inhabited by others far more adept at living with uncertainty than we are."

About the Author

Emmet Gowin is emeritus professor of photography at Princeton University. His many books include Emmet Gowin and Changing the Earth. His photographs are in collections around the world, including at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tokyo Museum of Art. Terry Tempest Williams is an author, conservationist, and activist. Her books include The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks and Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place.