Uncovered

by Thomas Allen (Photographer)

In this darkly delightful first monograph--also a board book--Thomas Allen selects the pulpiest of pulp paperbacks and then lovingly slices out a figure from the cover, gently folds it into position and constructs a witty and oftentimes suggestive scene around it. In "Thirst," a sultry dame reaches from her cover toward a guy with a bottle on a nearby volume; in "Teeter," a man careens toward the edge of a stack of paperbacks, ready to topple. Dogs howl; ships sail; punches fly.Inspired by a love of pop-up books, Hollywood noir, westerns and pulp fiction, Allen revels in the different roles he must play to create his scenarios: "In addition to being a photographer, I play talent scout, casting director, stage manager, lighting supervisor and film editor." Once his original tableaux are perfectly composed, he photographs them in shallow focus, rendering his prints with the dreamy effect of the classic View-Master stereoscopic toy, which has been a long-time inspiration. From femmes fatales to hard-boiled gumshoes, Allen's newly enlivened characters seem to burst from the hefty boards of this almost toylike book, apparently unable to contain themselves. Uncovered includes an introduction by Chip Kidd, one of the most innovative graphic designers working today. Kidd has used Allen's work in many cover designs, including a series of James Ellroy novels.

Genres: Art, Photography, Reference

48 pages, Board book

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Michael Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Interesting board book presentation. I just wish it had even more photographs by Thomas Allen, along with more information about him. I still recommend the book, however. Interesting 3-D constructions of vintage western and pulp paperbacks.

[Francine Fang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must be an interesting idea at that time, but now it is kind of cliche.

[Scoobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book of photographs is so rad.

how rad is it?

so rad.

i just googled this motherfucker and found multiple thomas allens. forget about the baritone singer or the guy running for senate. find the page where he has his covers of james ellroy books. chip kidd is the designer and steals all the thunder, but it's allen's photographs, that stand out.

i wish i was creative enough to take old pulp covers, rip them off the page and somehow turn them into dioramas.

for some reason the words to describe the photos escape me, but all i can think about is:
suspended-badass-animation

beautiful stuff

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coffee-table book; this artwork and photography is compelling and strange. I wish I had done it! Quality of the book's construction is unique: pages are thick, like cardboard, or like the pages in books for babies.

I only wish there was more to it; the introduction by Chip Kidd is fabulous, and the artwork included in it is great, but I would love to have more to look at. Ultimately, I assume that this is the entire "collection" and the collection just happens to be small-ish.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible photographer! Allen's work is inspired by the characters depicted on the front pages of old paperback novels and, using only glue, wire, and clever lighting, Allen brings these people alive in the photograph in the most wonderful way possible!

Note: This is the worst-marketed book in history! The picture on the front cover is entirely misleading, but find a copy of this unusual book, open it, and prepare to get blown away by the talent of this creative photographer.

[Jon Clausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased since Thomas is a friend of my wife's but his book of his amazing still art photography made Amazon's Editors Top 100 for a reason. It's an excellent coffee table book with images that will each provoke at least a smile.

[Faith-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a brilliant collection of pieces. Friends of mine that don't want anything to do with books have enjoyed thumbing through. It's brought me a lot of enjoyment!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this guy is crazy what he can do with a pulp paperback -

[Tera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these photographs!