The 24-page book Conventional Photography has all the makings of a collector’s item. The title is a nod to Unconventional Photography, distributed in 1976 by Richard Kalvar and his cronies at Magnum, during the 1976 Democratic National Convention. The latest version has kept the ironic tone, despite a serious introduction by political blogger Ana Marie Cox.
The book depicts an America where politics and spectacle come together in a hodgepodge of eccentricity and ostentation, with explicit political signs, inflammatory gestures, and a surge of red and blue. On the cover, a patriotic woman in her thirties listens to a political speech. Even through her American flag novelty glasses, the doubt registers on her face.
Kalvar borrows a standard magazine layout, which allows him to better question news photography. The project is timeless. It revisits a symbolic and forgotten publication of American history, as well as Magnum’s history. As both an observer and a participant, Kalvar takes a step back to offer a satirical and candid look at this American tradition.
Laurence Cornet
