George Tice - Common Mementos

This past weekend, I bought copy of the George Tice Common Mementos Lodima Press portfolio book. (Lodima Press is the outfit started by/owned by/run by Michael Smith/Paula Chamlee).

This little book (more a large pamphlet, really) contains 16 photos, done by Tice between 1967 and 1999.

Beautiful photos.

Tice writes:

Common Mementos is akin to a short story, a short film, and essay. It si my attempt to define and interpret the New Jersey with whihc I was familiar. I think of it as a journey in time as well as place.

These are the scenes that caused me to pull the car over and get out the camera. Some of the photographs were taken immediately after composing the image on the ground glass, but oftentimes I waited hours for conditions to improve: for the light to change, for the wind to cease, for people, traffic, or clouds to move out of or into my picture.

How do you measure these pictures? I doubt the future will consider much within worth preserving. The twenty-first century wouldn't allow it. It will eclipse most of the past. My memories were amassed here. These are my mementos.

Common Mementos is a bit pricy for such a slender volume, but I just love the photos, especially when taken as a whole. I just love Tice's work - his ability to deal intimately with the urban landscape is just incredible.