Arthur Tress has led a distinguished and visionary career as a photographer for several decades. But in 1964 when he spent a summer in San Francisco, Tress was just out of school. His fresh curiosity and keen eye coincided with a city that was in the midst of creating an identity. The cultural and generational turmoil that would come to define the second half of the decade were just beginning to become visible, and Tress distilled and captured these stirrings in this newly reconsidered work.
The design makes use of a set of symbols that work throughout the text and photographs. A subtle but elastic visual language frames the work without intruding on its clarity. The inclusion of a selection of contact sheets further deepens the book with a nod to Tress' photographic process and wandering spirit.
This book will accompany an exhibition of the work at San Francisco's de Young Museum, scheduled to open in March 2012. But the volume also stands alone as a smart collection of an artist's memorable early work as it intersects with a critical and compelling moment in American history.
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