Garry Winogrand - Winogrand: Figments from the Real World (First Ed) - 1988

Rare First Edition


"Winogrand: Figments from the Real World" is a book about the American photographer Garry Winogrand curated by John Szarkowski for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The title reflects Winogrand's approach of capturing candid, "figment-like" moments from everyday life—like street scenes, social activities, and airports—and presenting them as raw, often chaotic, and un-choreographed visual narratives. The book and exhibition serve as the first comprehensive overview of Winogrand's work, spanning from the early 1950s to his death in 1984. The photographs are presented thematically, covering subjects like "The Street," "The Sixties," "On the Road," and "Unfinished Work". Legacy: Many of the images were previously unpublished, and the collection includes a selection of the vast body of work Winogrand left unedited at the time of his death.

Winogrand's style: "Figments from the real world"
Candid and chaotic moments: Winogrand captured "mid-flight" moments, social interactions, and the chaos of American life with an urgent, energetic style.
Intuitive and spontaneous: His photographs are known for their spontaneous quality, with subjects often unaware of the camera. The title "Figments" suggests these are fragments or perceptions of reality, not idealized or staged scenes.
Embracing imperfection: Winogrand's work often embraces the messy, unpolished, and unpredictable aspects of life, finding a unique "perfection" in the chaos.
"Figments" to "real world": The title suggests a translation of reality into photographic "figments," or fragments, that, when put together, create a powerful and immediate sense of what life was like during his time.