Carol BeckwithRecensioni

"Beckwith and Fisher have roamed all of Africa for nearly 30 years, gaining the trust of?and extraordinary access to?numerous traditional societies. Their aim is to document the people, beliefs, and rituals of these tribal cultures before Westernization and other modern influences deracinate them. These twenty-four uniquely beautiful images are accompanied by concise notes on the tribes and ceremonies shown."

NO

Angela Fisher and Carol Beckwith have produced quite a few photographic books on various tribes of Africa, always concentrating on the really good-looking ones and especially on the men. Coincidence? (How did they get this job, I wanna know?)

I've just reread this book and its as fresh as the first time. The photography is stunning, the information, though limited, on the different tribes and their ideas of beauty adds meaning to the photographs. Just one of the best books ever.

De fotografen Carol Beckwith en Angela Fisher hebben 30 jaar lang rondgereisd door Afrika om primitieve stammen op de foto vast te leggen. Het resultaat is "Faces of Africa" met vooral vele prachtige portretfoto's in de stijl waarmee de Duitse fotografe Leni Riefenstahl wereldberoemd mee is geworden. De foto's zijn zonder meer 5 sterren waard, jammer is alleen dat het zo'n klein boekje is en dat de foto's op een wel heel klein formaat zijn afgedrukt.

These photographs are absolutely gorgeous, every one, and the accompanying commentary gives you just enough context. It made me want to get to know the people in the images, and know their lives and their cultures. No wonder this book won such a prestigious award.

While the ceremonies themselves are the focus of the photographs and accounts, the hints of the lives outside the pictures are almost equally fascinating. The transition between the profane and the sacred, between the mundane and the divine, is so rapid and so complete, it feels like a step from the deck of the boat straight into the river.I was hoping to learn more about the specifics of the relationships between symbol and legends or between ritual and myth, but the book lacks those deep connections. The descriptions of clothing, instruments, dress and demeanor are satisfying, though, and the amount of detail on each step of each event is immersive.After I related one horrifying coming-of-age ritual that involved a jagged knife, three slow cuts and rigid silence, my wife said, "It almost sounds like you admire them for going through that." I didn't have a good answer then, and I still don't. I certainly don't wish for that experience, but I did wonder: if I could choose between that and repeating three years of junior high school, which would I do? I had to think about it. Isn't that the point of such a book?

Ed gave me this book on my 50th Birthday.

dust jacket