Book Review
Elliott Erwitt’s
Regarding Women
By Sherrie Wilkolaski
T
his collection of black
and white images by
photographic master Elliot
Erwitt is an historical
documentation of his work,
as well as biographical look at his
life. Drizzled amongst the images
of celebrities like Maralyn Monroe,
whose cover also adorns the book
cover, readers will unknowingly view
glimpses of his children, ex-wives
and other major events in his
personal life.
The book spans several generations
beginning in the late 1940s through
today. The photos are not all
consecutive in their layout. As you
move from one page to the next,
there is a story being told with
each photo, but it is more of
a progression of life, starting
with birth and moving through
the excitement of love, marriage,
conflict and break-ups with the
emphasis of each shot being the
woman. The woman is center stage
in this collection.
Men will love the beauty, curves and
nudes, while woman will appreciate
the strength, power and fashion
portrayed throughout the work.
Randomly there will be a white page
mixed in alongside a full-page
photograph and I wonder what
was the artist was thinking and
why he selected certain images
standing alone. It makes you think
and you look longer and deeper.
Much of the book’s photography has
never been published before or has
been rarely viewed by the public and
that makes it even more special. The
foreward is by Charles Howard and
he sets the expectation of the reader
right from the start. I did not read the
foreword until after going through
the book and I was happy to say that
my journey was right on track with
Charles Howard’s insight. This book is
a revealing look into the life of Elliott
Erwitt and he has exposed a piece of
himself that many would not dare to
share with many people. In addition,
he is making it available to anyone
willing to take a look.
Elliott Erwitt fans and photography
buffs alike, will thoroughly enjoy this
incredible collection of the historical
look at women, through the eyes of
a man who is fascinated with the
opposite sex and the fairytale of
ever-lasting love.
Release date: September 2014