MITCH EPSTEIN ROCKS AND CLOUDS New Product

Mitch Epstein, a pioneer of color photography in the 1970s, has captured the relationship between humans and landscapes for the past 40 years. In this book, he photographs ancient rocks that have existed for millions of years and clouds that evaporate before his eyes, exploring themes of permanence and impermanence. These large-format black-and-white photographs taken in New York examine the complex relationship between society and nature, a theme he has explored in past works as well.

"During my hospitalization for a ruptured Achilles tendon, I suddenly began to grapple with the flow of time, reading Robert Smithson and rethinking the inseparability of nature and human society. As a result, I began capturing images of rocks and clouds within the city. The way the sky and the ground reflect upon each other intrigued me, inspired by ancient Chinese painters, Smithson, and surrealists—all of whom influenced this project," Epstein notes.

He focuses on the sculptural quality of clouds, bedrock, and buildings in New York. Clouds engulf cargo ships, buildings evoke constructivist paintings, and massive stones stand as dignified elders amid parks and sidewalks. This suggests a society that cannot control time or tame nature.