Monument

by Trent Parke

Trent Parke’s landmark publication Monument is a portal through which we bear witness to the disintegration of the universe over 294 expertly printed pages. The monolithic publication is bound in leather bearing totemic coordinates to the planet Earth, blind stamped end sheets, black sprayed edges, and a loose steel plaque, that once removed, leaves the volume without language. When Trent Parke moved to Sydney from a small Australian country town, his first impression was of the sheer volume of people. He would grab his camera and go out exploring at every opportunity, fascinated by the endless processions. At rush hour, he watched as the city workers moved in a great mass, all walking the great conveyer belt of life. In a trance-like state, treading the same path day after day, week after week, year after year… clocking on, clocking off, all under the spell of the city. Parke would stand on the edge of the wave, on the outside of a new world, looking in. As if watching a newly discovered species. “At night I would watch the eclipse of moths, millions of them constantly circling the lights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the same time, on my balcony, a miniature performance played out around the light above my head. The moths inevitably and without resistance were drawn to their ultimate demise. Spiralling out of control, like small spaceships caught in a tractor beam. Lured and blinded by the bright white light, they were taken out by hundreds of birds swooping in to snatch them from the air… spiders sat waiting on their webs. Built with precise coordinates across the face of the lights, they captured the hapless tiny creatures that slipped through. If any miraculously managed to survive that onslaught, they continued on, driven towards the flame, intoxicated by those burning hot light globes. Then suddenly an electrical charge in the still air. A small puff of smoke. Gone. Instant disintegration of a life form. Another blip in the universe.

Genres: Photography

294 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Yurii Naumovych · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це неймовірна книга. Сенси, композиція, ідея. Від темноти до світла і знову в темряву.

Я вивчав кожен міліметр…..


Геній!!!!!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From light we came, we dwell in darkness, and to light we return is the cycle of Trent Parke's monolithic tome, MONUMENT. It's dark, inky images suck you in; the grainy details are blown up until they break apart and scatter across the pages. There is no text whatsoever here, save for a metal plate that is loose inside the book that you, as the purchaser, can choose to attach or not to the back cover; which is like kind of a flex, but it is cool to have it exist as a publication of of purely image. Kind of like Koyaanisqatsi, but darker; our monument is to ourselves, our time is fleeting, its only consequence is entropy.

I was listening to Yaz Upstairs at Eric's while looking at this one.

[Huw Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful example of Concept Photography.

Great use of light and various abstractions to build the narrative.

Now on third edition Trent Parke's landmark publication Monument is a portal through which we bear witness to the disintegration of the universe over 294 expertly printed pages.

[Stephen Klueber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing photo book and one that was worth the wait. The production date and subsequent delivery date was pushed back but several times, but it was worth it. Every now and then there is a book that really stands out and re-informs the way you look at photographs and receive inspiration, and this is one of them. It is easy to understand what is going on and there is a narrative to the sequencing of the photos. There is an introduction, then a body, with some interruptions of the reflection images, and then a conclusion. The high contrast black and white, high grain images are absolutely stunning. The way the books ends is remarkable as well. There is a slow fade as the images become more grainy and the outline of faces is less and less discernible. Also, the shear volume of images included is astounding. As far as value for a photo book this rates high. This is a current favorite and one I have enjoyed flipping through any time I pick it up.