‘Antarctica, 2019’ by Steve McCurry HonFRPS
For 40 years, renowned Magnum photographer Steve McCurry HonFRPS has crossed continents to document the rich and often colourful varieties of human experience. As he shares previously unseen images in his new book In Search of Elsewhere, he explains why he decided to retrace his steps.
“This book documents my travels over the past 40 years, but more importantly, it records the ways in which people live out their everyday lives, the joys and the difficulties. The overarching theme of this collection is that no matter how divided our world is, there are more things that bind us together as humans than divide us.
‘Angkor Wat, Cambodia, 1997’ by Steve McCurry HonFRPS
“There is no denying that the world has changed, but people are still basically the same, even in these times of turmoil, disease, ecological degradation and economic hardships. So, my search for elsewhere revealed that no matter where I have gone, I have experienced humanity, kindness, hospitality and generosity that has made all of the travel worthwhile. It is our hope that through this book people will discover that no matter the changes in our environment, climate and human activity, it will be clear that people are still basically the same as they navigate the changes in their ways of life.
‘France, 2012’ by Steve McCurry HonFRPS
“I have been in the long-term process of scanning all of my work done before the ‘digital era’ with my studio, and for the past year we have been reviewing thousands of unseen pictures that had been stored in my archive. I was able to go back through previous shoots and discover images that I glanced over before. It has been gratifying to see the work from bygone eras and from places that are either inaccessible or that have been affected by climate change, war, innovation and other disruptions. The pictures provide primary source material on the way things were. Through the passage of time, images often take on a different meaning and importance. With the patina of time, you sometimes see things differently.
“The most rewarding part of the process is that the work still speaks and tells its own stories, which are as relevant today as they were decades ago. The essence of people stays the same.
“Our task was to identify the pictures that speak truth to those that look at the work, and although the process of reviewing the work was arduous it proved to be worth the effort and gratifying.”
‘Wadi Rum, Jordan, 2019’ by Steve McCurry HonFRPS
Steve McCurry In Search of Elsewhere is published by Laurence King
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