The Swimming Pool in Photography - Hardcover

Whether it's an infinity pool in Alicante, Spain, or the rooftop of Le Corbusier's "Cit Radieuse" in Marseille, pools are, perhaps, objects of beauty in their own right.--Oscar Holland "CNN Style " As this joyous edit of images proves, our relationship with the pool is far more complex than simply somewhere to exercise in or laze around nearby.--Tish Wrigley "AnOther " Dive into some of the world's most enticing pools.--Stephanie Eckhardt "W Magazine " Hodgson's book is a demonstration of how swimming pools are genetically photogenic. Perhaps it's that a pool somewhat resembles a photograph: a field of glittering action, bordered by white. Or that before digital cameras, to develop a photograph meant to submerge it in a series of three pools--developer, stop bath, fixer. Or that both center around the joys of seeing--light dancing on water, bodies glowing in the sun. Photography might as well have been invented for swimming pools.--Hunter Braithwaite "Paris Review " Captures the swimming pool in various forms around the world, in cities present and eras passed... a reminder that pool hopping through a memory can outline a life.--Eric Bard "Vanity Fair " Chronicles the history of the pool from its health-minded origins in the late 1800s through its emergence as a status symbol to photograph.--Alexandra Wolfe "Wall Street Journal " Striking imagery showcase everything from the artificial beach inside the Ocean Dome in Miyazaki, Japan to empty outdoor pools in Kabul.--Cool Hunting From the Art Nouveau-style bathing houses at the turn of the last century to the history behind the design of American pools in the 1950s to the basins that were repurposed as skate parks in California in the 1970s, you can enjoy immersing yourself in the destinations we long for on hot days.--Creative Boom A watery lens through which to view class, gender, culture, fashion, art, nationalism, economics and ecology. It is the people, objects and architecture in and around the water that you will respond to.--Beige Luciano-Adams "LA Weekly " Take a refreshing dip through the best swimming pools ever captured in still images.--New York Magazine Ideal for the photography lover or anyone in cold climates who needs a visual reminder of warmer spots.--Kirkus Old ones, new ones, drained ones, blue ones. An improbably mesmerizing look at swimming pools and their patrons through the ages.--Kim Hubbard "People "

As long as already five thousand years ago, the allure of the sea inspired humans to recreate its essence in miniature, artistic forms, as public baths where ancient rituals would take place. Since then, it has become quite normal to immerse ourselves in cooling waters, in the privacy of our homes and without religious incentives. Swimming pools have rapidly become status symbols and the source for many diverse experiences: leisure-time athletics, relaxation, or the simple pleasure of just being in water. It is no wonder then that filmmakers and photographers constantly return to the swimming pool as a subject and setting. Reflections of water and light are captured in countless, unique ways in the more than two hundred compelling images that comprise this catalogue. Also included of course are the images of those who animate it. With works by: Abbas Attar, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Peter Marlow, Martin Parr, Alec Scoth, Alex Webb, and others.