The Geometry of Innocence
The Geometry of Innocence, Hatje Cantz Publishers,
2001. Ostfilern-Ruit, Germany.
"Destined to be a late-modern classic. ...Ken Schles is a poet."
—from Modernrare.com
"An object lesson in bookmaking... adrenalizing."
—Chris Miller, European Photography
Twelve years
after the legendary success of his first book of photographs, Invisible
City, Ken Schles returns with his long-awaited project, The Geometry
of Innocence. Schles' focus is on the relentless shifting of social
structures and spaces that mark the urban landscape of today. His images
form a kind of visual roller coaster, sending the viewer onto city streets
and playgrounds, into pubs and bars, putting the viewer inside a police
helicopter and taking them to death row, hospital rooms, and police
interventions. While there is no story per se, this breathless sequence
of pictures is condensed into thematic clusters, providing a spellbinding
and almost physically palpable experience. The works in The Geometry
of Innocence address and play upon the immediacy and relativity of meaning
in the photographic image, creating a bold and highly nuanced artistic
statement.
Currently out of print, copies may be found on the web here.