Taxi by Joseph Rodriguez. Review by Michael Ernest Sweet
The idea of making photographs while driving a cab is certainly not a novel idea. Ryan Weideman, Michael Goldfarb, David Bradford, and Matt Weber all come to mind. Joseph Rodriguez is yet another member of this club. In this new monograph from Rodriguez, we see some of his finest images from his time behind the wheel. Taxi is a worthy collection of work. It is visually obvious that Rodriguez is a trained photographer. He’s got eyes for poignant subject matter and elegant composition. The book is not without its flaws, however, as both elements of the text and the photo editing leave me underwhelmed. Let’s dig in.
Copyright ⓒ Joseph Rodriguez
Copyright ⓒ Joseph Rodriguez
I very much like Rodriguez’s photography. I think he is a fine photographer with a lot to say. Some of his images instantly bring to mind greats like Robert Frank and, with some of his best compositions, even Henri Cartier-Bresson. Much of his work has the gritty content one would find in a Robert Frank photograph but with the refined composition more akin to HCB. These are good traits to have in your work. And, as much as these kind of name-dropping compliments are bantered about these days, I truly do mean what I say here. Look at the images and you do, instantly, see the references to these great photographers. When experiencing the book one comes across one photograph that is raw and crude, both in content and composition, and then another that is much more subtle and refined. Some are clearly very candid and others imply at least some tacit cooperation from the subject. This makes for a fine mix of aesthetics that, in some way, come to define Rodriguez’s own personal style.
When it comes to the text in the book I am less enthusiastic. Let me say, up front, that I am not a huge fan of text in photography monographs (other than, say, a foreword essay or the like). Yet, I see more and more of these hybrid photo-text books lately, which makes me think it is nonsense coming from publishers and marketing people. Listen, marketing people: Photography books should contain photography. I think that a photograph should stand on its own, and should tell its own story. For better or worse, there the photograph is. If words are needed to contextualize and explain, the photograph is not doing its job. Adding to my feelings with this particular book are some text bits that are somewhat judgmental – passages about men looking for sex on the streets or some of the comments about sex workers. I would have been less bothered if the text was descriptive and objective, rather than judgmental and subjective. So it goes. There was one bit of text, however, that rang true to me. It reads, “A cab becomes a place to hear stories. It also becomes like a psychiatrist’s office. People have so much to tell you.” For me, that is enough text for the whole book. It is pure and true and works wonderfully to contextualize the following collection of photographs. Not to belabor the point, but at times I was confused about the heavy sex angle of the narration. To be clear, I’m no Mormon, but it did nothing for my experience as a viewer.
Copyright ⓒ Joseph Rodriguez
Copyright ⓒ Joseph Rodriguez
Rodriguez clearly has high regard for humanity: This clearly and poignantly shows in his work. He equally loves the beautiful bits and the ugly bits of what makes us human – a vital skill for a documentary photographer. To only show the beautiful is pedestrian and to show nothing but the ugly is shallow. A New York cabbie could have gone wholly in either direction but Rodriguez didn’t. He remained true to documenting the delicate dance that is the human condition in action, and I am elated he did. Rodriguez understands that the camera is a pliant tool and not merely a mechanical tyrant – he has made it submissive to his highly mature vision and we have all benefited. It is worth noting that a small handful of photographs feel either out-of-place or generally underwhelming, however. They have interest only insofar as they are of a certain age, which, for me, is not enough justification for their inclusion between these covers.
The book as a physical object is highly satisfying. PowerHouse books did a wonderful job with this one. The cover is highly tactile and the cover image is beautifully and faithfully reproduced. The whole book exudes the quality one expects of an art monograph. Finally, it is priced very competitively given these qualities.
Taxi is a great collection of photography from a particular moment in New York City history. Rodriguez is clearly an artist and a documentarian and that is on full display in this collection. Despite my few nitpicks, I can honestly and wholeheartedly recommend this book to any collector of fine photography monographs. My signed copy will remain in my personal collection, and that isn’t something I can say for every book sent my way.
Trim Size: 9-¾ x 7-½ inches
Page Count: 132
ISBN: 9781576879313
Order a signed copy of TAXI here.
Leave a comment