Walker Evans

"Alpers’s interest in the ‘unique’ work of Walker Evans is an interest in the ‘making’ of the photographs rather than in their interpretation: her approach is slow, patient, fastidious, detail-oriented, appreciative and illuminating. . . . It is really Starting from Scratch that is a ‘unique’ work: a close reading of classic photographs by a discerning eye (Alpers’s) that conjoins the instructional with the intimate, the scholarship of the historian with the candour of the memoirist. . . . A brilliant and, indeed, thrilling final chapter . . . considers the phenomenon of ‘late style’ as it relates to artists other than Walker Evans"---Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement
"Warm and sympathetic . . . really a wonderful biography."---Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement Podcast
"[A] superb book."---Richard Meyer, Artforum
"Starting From Scratch is well researched, and Alpers’s heavily quotational approach provides the reader a wealth of material from Evans’s letters, lectures, published texts, and personal writings."---Rahel Aima, The Nation
"Svetlana Alpers’s biography takes a chronological approach to the life of an artist. . . . But before the text explores Walker’s aspirations, tastes, travels, career highs and love of the written word, the reader is presented with an uninterrupted 143 full-page reproductions of Evans’s photographs—an invitation to appraise the work before engaging with the man." * Christie's *
"[A] brilliant scholar of Dutch painting’s take on an artist whose work has moved and inspired me for years."---Ayad Akhtar, Elle.com
"A fresh consideration of Evans’s pictures. . . . Engaging."---Brian Sholis, Aperture
"A fresh, scholarly look—complete with more than 200 images—at the seminal American photographer, this time through the lens of fine art and literature. In a lavishly illustrated narrative bolstered by impassioned research, art historian Alpers reintroduces readers to Walker Evans (1903-1975), one of America’s great artistic observers . . . Alpers convincingly presents him as a new kind of poet. . . . Great American photography in a welcome new frame." * Kirkus Reviews *
"A comprehensive study. . . . Alpers shows how Evans’s approach differed both from that of other photographers and from conventional assumptions about photography. . . . Intriguing interpretations of Evans’s photos and work process, for both specialists and general readers." * Library Journal *
"An entire semester in one volume. . . . [Alpers's] analysis of Evans’ artistic life will not disappoint. . . . This biography affectionately reads like a lecture series, with professor Alpers nudging students to close-read the 143 black/white Evans photos conveniently placed at the book’s beginning."---Jean Bundy, Anchorage Press
"In Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch, art historian Svetlana Alpers explores the prominent 20th century documentary photographer’s work and creative process. Though one might usually consider photography to be a graphic art like painting, Alpers examines Evans’ love of text and the relationship between his images and works by writers including Flaubert, Baudelaire, and Faulkner, making the compelling case that literature is at the heart of his work. The book features 170 of Evans’s photos, but the main reason to get Starting from Scratch is to learn more about the artist’s way of seeing the world and rediscover his work with fresh eyes." * Photo Life Magazine *
"[Alpers] takes a vivid, fresh look at the remarkable photographer whose well-known work on cities and on American rural poverty resonates today. But there is much more to see, and say. Many of the 143 plates will not be familiar, and Alpers interprets them in the context of international literature and art, inviting 'those who don’t know Evans [to] discover his greatness,' and ranking photographic achievement with literature and painting of the highest quality." * Harvard Magazine *
"[Walker Evans] is finely tuned and thoroughly researched, carving out a unique space by focusing on Evans's lifelong emphasis on the art of seeing. . . . Highlighting groundbreaking cultural events, artists, and historical moments, including both world wars, the 1960s, and multiple cultural renaissances throughout Europe and the US, Alpers energetically writes about the people, places, and events that were continuous sources of influence and inspiration for Evans. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *
"This 213-page book provides depth and breadth about Evans’ work. Readers . . . who are curious about what drove Walker Evans to create, and to learn about what influenced him and what distinguishes him from other 20th Century photographers as it evolved will no doubt enjoy Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch. "---Caryn Hoffman, Picture this Post
"In this extensive and detailed biography . . . the reader is presented with a new perspective on Walker Evans’s work, rendering the presumed familiar unfamiliar in a decidedly nuanced and enjoyable way." * ARLIS/NA Reviews *
"[A] learned, suggestive, and handsome work. Alpers studies Evans’s work employing the techniques used to critique paintings: by assessing how he framed his scenes, in the light of his printed statements and off-the-cuff remarks. Her most illuminating is the theme of detail. She focuses on what Evans focused on."---Allen D. Boyer, Key Reporter
"Insightful."---Stuart Mitchner, Town Topics
"Alpers’ book on Walker Evans begins, after a half title page, with reproductions of 143 of Evans’ photographs . . . a silently eloquent way to say: the pictures come first. . . . Alpers focuses on [Evans’s] profound connection to French culture, literary in the first place . . . and then photographic . . . to show how 'Evans always viewed his country as if from the outside and often with an ironic eye.'"---Barry Schwabsky, Tourniquereview.com
"This is a rich and thoughtful study of Evans’s life and his “furtive, passionate looking”. . . . A wonderfully insightful discussion of Evans’s key role in the creation of a distinctively American photography and the way great photographs can change how we see the world."---PD Smith, The Guardian