The Philosophy of Strangers. Franklyn Rodgers with specially commissioned essay by Maria Amidu (Autograph ABP, 2007) 48 pages, 31 color plates, hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-1899282074.
Black British photographer Franklyn Rodgers has amassed a body of work both personal and commercial, which is breathtaking in its volume and level of accomplishment. The work collected in this, the first monograph of his work, presents a range of his personal portrait projects which include many artists, writers and cultural commentators. He is able to bring his years of expertise to bear on the creative challenges he sets himself – a photographic exploration into the possibilities of portraiture and representation – how to be seen, recorded and remembered. His work is a refreshing return to the black subject within a studio design genre, with a very unique personal style and vision. His aesthetic is one of beauty, but his definition of beauty goes way beyond what is pleasing to the eye. His images are beautiful because he draws us into the detail of each person and in so doing gives us the opportunity to glimpse something of their outward appearance and inner voice.
