Judith Joy Ross - Photographies 1978-2015

This first monograph in French dedicated to Judith Joy Ross accompanies her vast retrospective at the BAL in Paris, presenting a survey of her work from 1978 to 2015. A leading figure in portrait photography, Judith Joy Ross has developed a singular and radical approach that places her in the tradition of the masters of the genre. Direct and astonishingly accurate, her images show, in an empathetic way, the daily life of people who are often ignored or little considered. Throughout his various series, a panorama of the American middle class is revealed, from youth to the adult world.

The use of a camera, with its mahogany stand and box, creates a special relationship between Ross and his subject. The person looking not at the photographer but at the lens, the exchange, which takes place during the time of the capture, makes palpable what is hidden behind the appearances. The printing process, with the use of direct blackening paper which, after turning to gold, gives a luminous tone in a range of cold grays and purplish browns, also contributes to the visual power of these photographs and restores the intensity of the encounter.

This book renews the view of his work, presenting both his most iconic images and others from his personal archives and unpublished. It is accompanied by essays by art historian Svetlana Alpers and curator Joshua Chuang.