Susan Lipper - Grapevine - 1994
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Grapevine by Susan Lipper, 1st edition (1994), CornerHouse, hardback with dust jacket, 112 pages, English, format 33 × 28.5 cm, in very good condition.
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Description from the seller
Here is a clean version of the review without source mentions and without formatting like underscores:
Review
Susan Lipper’s Grapevine (1994) stands today as one of the most sought-after and revered photobooks among collectors, widely regarded as a rare and uncompromising masterpiece that continues to grow in both myth and value within the history of contemporary photography.
Created over several years in a small Appalachian community in West Virginia, Grapevine moves beyond the conventions of traditional documentary photography. Rather than maintaining distance, Lipper immerses herself in the lives of her subjects, constructing what can be understood as a subjective form of documentary in which reality and fiction merge into something far more psychologically layered.
The photographs are raw, intimate, and often unsettling. Working in black and white, Lipper captures moments that oscillate between tenderness and tension, revealing a world shaped by poverty, isolation, and deeply rooted social dynamics. What makes the work especially powerful is the active role of the subjects, who appear to collaborate in the making of their own image. They do not simply exist in front of the camera, but perform versions of themselves that feel simultaneously authentic and staged.
The sequencing of the book creates a dense and at times claustrophobic atmosphere. Interior spaces, outdoor scenes, and symbolic gestures accumulate into a fragmented yet emotionally cohesive narrative. The result is less a linear story than a psychological landscape marked by ambiguity, vulnerability, and an undercurrent of unease. Lipper resists easy stereotypes, offering instead a complex and deeply human portrayal that challenges conventional representations of rural America.
As a photobook object, Grapevine has achieved near-legendary status. Its scarcity, particularly in early and limited editions, has made it highly coveted among collectors, elevating it to the level of a cult object within the photobook world. This rarity, combined with its artistic ambition and lasting influence, reinforces its position as a cornerstone of contemporary photographic practice.
Ultimately, Grapevine is not only a document of a specific place and time, but a profound reflection on representation, authorship, and the fragile boundary between truth and fiction. Its intensity, originality, and enduring impact firmly establish it as a masterpiece of the photobook form.
Seller's Story
Dartbooks is a specialized photography bookshop based in Barcelona, dedicated to photobooks, rare and out-of-print editions, and historically significant publications. With a strong focus on Japanese photography, Dartbooks was founded to provide continuity to a field that requires depth, expertise, and careful curation.
The bookshop was established after the closure of Kowasa, a landmark reference for photography books in Spain. Its disappearance left a clear gap for photographers, collectors, and institutions in need of a space with a serious and knowledgeable approach to the photobook. Dartbooks emerged in response to that need, not as a replacement, but as part of the natural evolution of a cultural ecosystem.
Dartbooks operates with a curatorial mindset, shaped by long-term engagement with photography and book collecting. The project functions as a book hunting platform for collectors, professionals, and libraries worldwide, and also provides advisory support to other bookshops seeking to develop coherent and specialized photography collections.
The catalogue includes new publications, rare and out-of-print titles, monographs, retrospectives, self-published works, signed copies, and editions produced directly by photographers through their own imprints. The selection reflects a sustained commitment to photography as a form of visual narration, where images construct meaning beyond text.
Although rooted in the Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona, Dartbooks serves an international audience. Its community includes collectors, professionals, and institutions from France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, both through the physical space and the online platform.
Dartbooks understands the photobook not merely as an object of consumption, but as a cultural artifact that documents artistic practices, historical contexts, and personal visions. The bookshop functions simultaneously as a place of discovery, an archive in constant growth, and a point of connection between photographers, publishers, and readers.
Here is a clean version of the review without source mentions and without formatting like underscores:
Review
Susan Lipper’s Grapevine (1994) stands today as one of the most sought-after and revered photobooks among collectors, widely regarded as a rare and uncompromising masterpiece that continues to grow in both myth and value within the history of contemporary photography.
Created over several years in a small Appalachian community in West Virginia, Grapevine moves beyond the conventions of traditional documentary photography. Rather than maintaining distance, Lipper immerses herself in the lives of her subjects, constructing what can be understood as a subjective form of documentary in which reality and fiction merge into something far more psychologically layered.
The photographs are raw, intimate, and often unsettling. Working in black and white, Lipper captures moments that oscillate between tenderness and tension, revealing a world shaped by poverty, isolation, and deeply rooted social dynamics. What makes the work especially powerful is the active role of the subjects, who appear to collaborate in the making of their own image. They do not simply exist in front of the camera, but perform versions of themselves that feel simultaneously authentic and staged.
The sequencing of the book creates a dense and at times claustrophobic atmosphere. Interior spaces, outdoor scenes, and symbolic gestures accumulate into a fragmented yet emotionally cohesive narrative. The result is less a linear story than a psychological landscape marked by ambiguity, vulnerability, and an undercurrent of unease. Lipper resists easy stereotypes, offering instead a complex and deeply human portrayal that challenges conventional representations of rural America.
As a photobook object, Grapevine has achieved near-legendary status. Its scarcity, particularly in early and limited editions, has made it highly coveted among collectors, elevating it to the level of a cult object within the photobook world. This rarity, combined with its artistic ambition and lasting influence, reinforces its position as a cornerstone of contemporary photographic practice.
Ultimately, Grapevine is not only a document of a specific place and time, but a profound reflection on representation, authorship, and the fragile boundary between truth and fiction. Its intensity, originality, and enduring impact firmly establish it as a masterpiece of the photobook form.
Seller's Story
Dartbooks is a specialized photography bookshop based in Barcelona, dedicated to photobooks, rare and out-of-print editions, and historically significant publications. With a strong focus on Japanese photography, Dartbooks was founded to provide continuity to a field that requires depth, expertise, and careful curation.
The bookshop was established after the closure of Kowasa, a landmark reference for photography books in Spain. Its disappearance left a clear gap for photographers, collectors, and institutions in need of a space with a serious and knowledgeable approach to the photobook. Dartbooks emerged in response to that need, not as a replacement, but as part of the natural evolution of a cultural ecosystem.
Dartbooks operates with a curatorial mindset, shaped by long-term engagement with photography and book collecting. The project functions as a book hunting platform for collectors, professionals, and libraries worldwide, and also provides advisory support to other bookshops seeking to develop coherent and specialized photography collections.
The catalogue includes new publications, rare and out-of-print titles, monographs, retrospectives, self-published works, signed copies, and editions produced directly by photographers through their own imprints. The selection reflects a sustained commitment to photography as a form of visual narration, where images construct meaning beyond text.
Although rooted in the Gràcia neighbourhood of Barcelona, Dartbooks serves an international audience. Its community includes collectors, professionals, and institutions from France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, both through the physical space and the online platform.
Dartbooks understands the photobook not merely as an object of consumption, but as a cultural artifact that documents artistic practices, historical contexts, and personal visions. The bookshop functions simultaneously as a place of discovery, an archive in constant growth, and a point of connection between photographers, publishers, and readers.
Details
Number of books
1
Subject
Photography
Book title
Grapevine
Author/ Illustrator
Susan Lipper
Condition
Very good
Publication year oldest item
1994
Height
33 cm
Edition
1st Edition
Width
28.5 cm
Language
English
Original language
Yes
Publisher
CornerHouse
Binding/ Material
Hardback
Extras
Dust jacket
Number of pages
112
