The Last Resort

A classic photobook that divided critics on release in 1986 and led the charge of the 'New European Colour' school of photography, overturning decades of dominance of black-and-white for photo essays / street photography / photo-journalism / call it what you will.

I'm studying 'Narrative & Illustration' on my photography degree at the moment, moving beyond the technicalities of composition, shape, colour and light and into more esoteric creative concepts like 'intent' and 'message' in photography. I've got hold of a couple of recommended classic photo essay books, this one and Robert Frank's "The Americans". This has a gaudy charm, full of bright saturated colours of a working class seaside resort very similar to those of my childhood. So my review of it for my course has ended up looking at it on two levels: photographically and nostalgically :-)