Documentary Photography

Rothstein, a documentary photographer for half a century, assesses the genre's significant trends and directions. From early "concerned humanists" to photographers more recently documenting the "dignity of the commonplace" (Frank, Winogrand, Friedlander), Rothstein sees a shift away from revealing what is wrong with the world in order to move people to action, toward presenting a nonjudgmental view of reality. Rothstein links artists chronologically and by aesthetic and ideological viewpoints. As much of this material is not new, the work's main contribution is its further discussion and evaluation of recent documentary books and grant-funded projects. One longs for more depth in this appraisal and more comprehensiveness (notable omissions are Earl Dotter and Susan Meiselas). Ann Copeland, Drew Univ. Lib., Madison, N.J.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.