**William KLEIN**, Boy on Swing + Smirking Girl, New York, 1955. Courtesy of the Howard Greenberg Gallery.

Written by Max Wiener

The prolific collaboration between Lumiere Books and Howard Greenberg Gallery is celebrated in this fascinatingly rich exhibition that explores the art of the photo book.

Photography books take the powerful punch of a live exhibition and convert it into a much more accessible format, giving readers an at-home experience that’s as transportational as if they’re viewing the work in person. With each flip of the page, we’re brought further down the creative rabbit hole, but unlike many gallery exhibitions, powerful words and essays accompany the fabulous art. When bound together, words and photographs combine for an experience that is truly unmatched in the artistic world.

**Bruce DAVIDSON**, Brooklyn Gang (couple kissing in corner), 1959. Courtesy of the Howard Greenberg Gallery.

**Saul LEITER**, Harlem, 1960. Courtesy of the Howard Greenberg Gallery.

The exhibition, Printer Savant: Lumiere Press and the Art of the Photo Book, features various limited edition photo books from acclaimed artists such as Bruce Davidson, Saul Leiter, Gordon Parks, and others. Each book shows a nuanced balance of word and image, paying close attention to the conversation the two art forms have with one another. The images themselves do the talking, as the artists’ formidable visions seemingly jump off of the page entirely.

Howard Greenberg Gallery and Lumiere Press have had a longstanding relationship in creating limited edition photography books, each one of them seemingly more vivid and powerful than the last. Howard Greenberg and master book maker Michael Torosian combine their exceptionally keen eyes to create pure mastery, and their skill sets feed off of each other like no other. Through this collaboration, we have been exposed to some of the finest photographic publications of this century, including the monumental 2007 release An American Gallery: Howard Greenberg 25 - Twenty Five Years of Photography. Their joint effort is not to be overlooked in any way, for without them the medium of photography publication would not be nearly as big as it is today.

**Gordon PARKS**, Norman Sr., 1967. Courtesy of the Howard Greenberg Gallery.

Accompanying the literature are some of the featured artists’ finest work, like Bruce Davidson’s 1959 Brooklyn Gang series, one of the premier portrayals of youthful splendor and rebellion. Davidson’s work is poignant yet candid, staging nothing and still transporting us to his world with ease. The blacks and whites of his prints fit his oeuvre, stamping us with the rigidity of the culture. This use of monochrome is a great contrast to Saul Leiter’s work, which typically depicts a New York filled with color and wonder. Both show the same city from different angles and paint a full picture of a foregone life in New York City; both extremes are vital for being inclusive of all narratives. Greenberg and Torosian do a fantastic job of combining significant artistic efforts in order to create a striking product. In turn, we see an exhibition (or publication) that is both eye-catching and thought-provoking. Because of these two visionaries, we are able to have some of the most enriching and intimate artistic viewing experiences, and their genius minds, when in conjunction with one another, can only produce a great product.