Edward Woodman

The first comprehensive overview of the work of the acclaimed photographer Edward Woodman, the photographer of choice for the YBA generation of British artists. Edward Woodman is one of the most important photographers in the history of British contemporary art. Now seventy-five, he has photographed pioneering artists and their work for more than four decades from Richard Deacon, Antony Gormley and Cornelia Parker to Mona Hatoum, Rachel Whiteread and Damien Hirst. The singularity of Woodman's achievement and influence lies in his collaborations with these artists, which went beyond mere documentation to become creative partnerships in their own right. At a time when installation and performance were becoming central to art practice, he was the photographer of choice for artists who recognized his sharp and discerning eye and unique ability to interpret their practice and ideas, which endure uniquely through his photographs. As a result, his iconic images became intrinsic to the way the art was seen, understood and remembered by audiences then and now. In parallel with documenting the work of contemporary artists, Woodman has mapped the transformation of London itself, acting as a diarist of the city and charting its architectural, social and cultural evolution since the late 1960s. Coinciding with a touring exhibition beginning at the John Hansard Gallery in Southampton, this book presents work from his entire career, including artists' portraits, studios, exhibitions, installations and performances, collaborations with artists, social documentation and more recent and personal works. It also features texts on Edward Woodman's practice and a critical assessment of his work in the history of photography, as well contributions from some of the artists with whom he worked most closely.