William Klein

The latest entry of the Photofile series on great photographers fully captures the defiant style of American photographer William Klein (b. 1928), whose images of everyday people in cities around the world helped define the genre of street photography. Over the course of his career, Klein traveled to Moscow, New York, Tokyo, Rome, and elsewhere, capturing the hustle of each urban location. As the photos in this slim volume aptly show, he often blurred the line between documentary photography and fine art. In photos such as a close-up of a young boy grimacing while pointing a toy gun at the camera, or a snapshot of hairdressers at a school in Tokyo, his subjects often face the camera, some appearing even to pose for it, and yet the setup never lacks authenticity. The book, which includes a short introduction by photography critic Caujolle, provides a succinct overview of an influential photographer of the 20th century and also serves as a pocket-size introduction to street photography. (Apr.)