Suburbia

by Bill Owens

A revised edition of the 70's classic with new color photographs

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, History, Cultural Studies, Architecture, Art and Photography

119 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of suburbia places in context the great tech-expansion. Who we are today is grounded very firmly in this expansion (figuratively and literally) that set in place our current infrastructure - the blessing and curse of the middle class. Haunting and evocative of not only a way of life - but also a philosophy of class.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of photographs of west coast suburbia from 1972. History it is now. It is worth picking up at the used bookstore if you see it there like I did.

This 20th Century history book, by a journalist who took the photographs in the suburbs of Silicon Valley, Livermore, California captures the post war world of California tract homes and what goes on in and around them.

Suburbia fascinates many Americans, especially the city people of the East who sometimes look down their noses at it. Considering this is the birth of Silicon Valley, they should be so smug about it. If you live and grew up in the burbs, you get it.

The photographs may be underrated because the author is not as well known as Mary Ellen Mark or Garry Winogrand, unfortunatley, they are very good IMO.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic photographs and a lot of food for thought. I loved how Mr. Owens respected the people in his photographs, and how he captured a movement that has affected American life and families for decades.

[Noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome time capsule.

[Tom Romig · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife and I were at the National Gallery of Art to see the Gustave Caillebotte exhibit, which, by the way, was wonderful, featuring as it did some of his finest paintings including, of course, Paris Street, Rainy Day, which one of the designers where I used to work called the triangle painting (why didn't I see that?). I noticed in the day's handout an exhibit called, From the Library: Photobooks after Frank. Off I went to a little room where a number of startling photo books were on display. OK, not the most dynamic type of exhibit given that you can display only two pages of a book at a time (unless you're in the e-world). But it was captivating, as was the booklet accompanying the exhibit. I'm using this booklet as a guide to some of the most engaging photographers: Robert Frank (but of course), Bill Owens, Lee Friedlander, Jacob Holdt, Shephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld, Doug Rickard, Danny Lyon, Larry Clark, Nan Goldin (finally a woman!), William Eggleston, Richard Avedon, Alec Soth, Ed Ruscha, Mike Mandel, Larry Sultan, Bernhard Becher, Hill Becher, Robert Adams, Roni Horn, June Leaf, Ralph Gibson, Duane Michals, Gary Winogrand, Diane Arbus (Howard Nemerov is her brother [think of that for awhile]), and Rineki Dijklstra.

It would be oh so easy but oh so wrong to view Suburbia as an exercise in irony. It's just too convenient to hear the word "suburb" and to think conformity, middlebrow, even unenlightened. But spend time with the images, read the comments of the men and women depicted. You'll find glimpses of people of depth, variety, warmth, surprise, and thoughtfulness.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apropos of my review hating on 'Revolutionary Road' just now: if you really want to read something quality about the suburbs, check out Bill Owens' book of photos and captions, from about 1970 in Livermore (?), CA. While any college-educated lefty worth his bile can find something to loathe about the suburbs, Owens looked past all those ideological projections and captured a world that's real, specific, unquestionably geeky, often positive, and sometimes weirdly beautiful.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

What makes this book work is that it's a candid documentation of a time when the desire and execution of living a suburban life was still in its infancy.

The book focuses on Livermore, California which, as one of the photo captions states, is roughly 40 minutes from San Francisco "once you get on the highway." The photos are pushing 40+ years old which adds an element of foreign intrigue to subject matter most of us are very familiar with. It's almost intriguing enough to gloss over the overtly condescending tone of the captions.

[Sean Ezell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suburbia. More like hot-momurbia.

[Bob Peru · Rating 5 out of 5]

scathing but good natured. really. empathetic whilst crashingly condemning. bill owens. hero.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK!!
It is so much fun to see all of the candid photos of the 60's & early 70's

[Jim Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of my top ten photo books.

[Zane McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Andrew doesn't like to go to
the bathroom alone."

"How can I worry about the
damned dishes when there are
children dying in Vietnam."

"After they are grown maybe
they will remember the meals
that their mother cooked."

"I don't think that Richie play-
ing with guns will have a neg-
ative effect on his personality...
By playing with guns he learns
to socialize with other children."

"We like to play war."

"In one day you have a front yard."

"People here can't realize
there are poor people in the
world. They can't think about
the needs of other people."

"We enjoy having these things."

An absolutely insane read. Was suburbia ever really like this? It really brings you into these people's worlds. The people are so hopeful about the future, so fascinated with suburbia. While I think it's really the quotes that make the book good, not so much the photographs, they work incredibly in tandem.

I love seeing their dead faces and then them saying how much they love suburbia. Of course some are genuinely happy, but a lot aren't.

[Blane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos here, depicting a California suburb in its infancy (early-70s) are fantastic (5 stars), aptly representing a long lost time. But, the humorous/snarky/annoying captions add nothing. In fact, they detract from Owens' extraordinary (candid?) photographs. I would have much preferred simple documentary information about the who/what for each.

[Jessica Camara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the library after hearing that Sophia Coppola was inspired by it in recreating the suburbs in her film version of Eugenides's The Virgin Suicides. The photos take the reader back in time getting glimpses into the different lifestyles of the suburbs in 1968. I loved it!

[Kevin Bjorke · Rating 5 out of 5]

returned after reading this a decade ago. Still great.

Amazingly, the copy I have now came from the public library, via inter-library loan, where Owens shot these photos.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

autographed

[Digi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great photos of suburbia with some blurbs included as well. Although old, the photos dont look so dated because most are in b&w, and are unintentionally funny.

[Avi O · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loooove when people show how weird the suburbs are... also today was a photo book day for me so

[Mills College Library]

790.10222 O976s 1999