It's honestly stunning that the pictures in Evidence have lost none of their visceral power and energy since they were first published in 1977, but Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel's work still feels eerily timely in our contemporary political climate. Evidence is a compilation of photographs taken from various federal and judicial institutions that quite literally were used at some point as "evidence"; as if photography can capture and make visible some "truth." These photos retain their power and intrigue by reversing their original context -- instead of illustrating or validating an argument or truth, they precede any legitimating context, and thus they float as hollow signifiers of an unattainable concept.
This version is the very limited first edition run that was published in 1977. Signed on the title page by Sultan (blue ink) and Mandel (black ink), and Mandel's signature is dated to June 21, 1977. Hardcover of blue cloth with gilded title.
- Hardcover in paper wrapper
- Unpaginated -- 92 pages, 25 b/w + 61 duotone prints
- 9.75 x 9 inches
- First edition, out of print
- Greenbrae, California: Clatworthy Colorvues, 1977