A beautifully produced exploration of America’s plains states—their histories, traditions and people—from Peter Kayafas
The latest book from New York–based photographer Peter Kayafas (born 1971) presents photographs from ten years and thousands of miles of travel in the plains states. A continuation of his 30 years of work along America’s backroads, Kayafas uses his camera to explore the present state of the histories and ritualized traditions of the people who live in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Their way of life, their connection to the land and the animals that are their lifeblood, are enduring themes in this body of work. So too is the passage of young people from childhood into the adult world of hard work and knowledge about the struggles and challenges of life in the west. The backdrop for this subtle narrative is the beautiful, rugged and wide-open landscape of the west with all its layers and ironies.
A brilliant essay by the celebrated writer Rick Bass accompanies the photographs.
Featured image is reproduced from 'Peter Kayafas: The Way West.'
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Guardian
Editors
Cowboys, sunsets, rodeos and dust ... that’s what people think the west is. But Peter Kayafas travelled from Idaho to Oklahoma, seeking out the real rituals and way of life of a new generation
Hyperallergic
Edward Gomez
Photographer Peter Kayafas captures the contemporary soul of a region long obscured by its own enduring myths.
New Criterion
Editors
Here the western sun bleaches and darkens in equal measure, illuminating the spirited lives, young and old, that Kayafas bottles up in his lens.
Daily Mail
Sue Malesevic
Stunning collection of photographs chronicle the youth, horses and county fairs of the Plains states from Idaho to Wyoming.
in stock $50.00
Free Shipping
UPS GROUND IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. FOR CONSUMER ONLINE ORDERS
"Burley, Idaho" (2015) is reproduced from Peter Kayafas: The Way West, published by Purple Martin Press. "In these photographs two dominant elements—youth and animals—are passing through the landscape of the American West," Rick Bass writes. "These twinned elements seem to move sometimes like sleepwalkers lost in a dream that was never quite birthed into reality. The animals as well as people—particularly the young people—still possess a primal power, but many appear also to be just at the edge of being aware for the first time in their lives of something that might be about to go away." continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 10.75 x 9.25 in. / 104 pgs / 74 duotone. LIST PRICE: U.S. $50.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $69.95 GBP £45.00 ISBN: 9780979776830 PUBLISHER: Purple Martin Press AVAILABLE: 3/24/2020 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by Purple Martin Press. Text by Rick Bass.
A beautifully produced exploration of America’s plains states—their histories, traditions and people—from Peter Kayafas
The latest book from New York–based photographer Peter Kayafas (born 1971) presents photographs from ten years and thousands of miles of travel in the plains states. A continuation of his 30 years of work along America’s backroads, Kayafas uses his camera to explore the present state of the histories and ritualized traditions of the people who live in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Their way of life, their connection to the land and the animals that are their lifeblood, are enduring themes in this body of work. So too is the passage of young people from childhood into the adult world of hard work and knowledge about the struggles and challenges of life in the west. The backdrop for this subtle narrative is the beautiful, rugged and wide-open landscape of the west with all its layers and ironies.
A brilliant essay by the celebrated writer Rick Bass accompanies the photographs.
