Thought Pieces: 1970s Photographs

Thought Pieces: 1970s Photographs by Lew Thomas, Donna-Lee Phillips, and Hal Fischer

Thought Pieces: 1970s Photographs by Lew Thomas, Donna-Lee Phillips, and Hal Fischer Erin. O’Toole (ed.)
In the early 1970s, Lew Thomas set out to disrupt photography in San Francisco. Tired of the mystical thinking and emotionalism that had underscored Bay Area photography since the 1940s, Thomas pursued a photographic practice grounded in ideas gleaned from conceptual art and Structuralist philosophy. A cohort of other photographers, including Donna-Lee Phillips and Hal Fischer, embraced Thomas’ mission, joining him in what became known as the ‘Photography and Language’ movement, named after a book and group exhibition of the same title produced by Thomas in 1976.

Thomas, Phillips and Fischer were all extremely active in the mid to late 1970s. In addition to making their own artwork, they published essays, reviewed shows and organized exhibitions. Under the name NFS Press, Thomas published a number of books designed by Phillips, including Structural(ism) and Photography (1978), which featured Thomas’ work; Eros and Photography (1977), which was edited by Phillips, and two books of Fischer’s work: Gay Semiotics (1978) and 18th Near Castro Street x 24 (1979).

Published in conjunction with an exhibition featuring photographs by these three artists that will be on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art January 4 – August 9, 2020, this volume assesses their work, their relationship to one another and their place in the history of photography in the 1970s.

You can browse more Photobooks here.

Read The Reviews

“As a document of a close-knit artistic circle establishing a visual language of their own—one that continues to read as fresh, engaging and intellectually gratifying—Thought Pieces proves even a three-person community can push artistic production into new realms.” – KQED

“This nostalgic book reunites their work for the first time in decades, offering an opportunity to reassess their legacy in the Bay Area, and more importantly, their place in the larger history of photography.” – The LOVE Magazine

“Thought Pieces looks at [Hal Fischer, Lew Thomas and Donna-Lee Phillips’] groundbreaking, and often collaborative, work.” – AnOther Magazine

“A fascinating symbiotic feat” – SLEEK Magazine

Mack Books

Mack is a global publisher of award-winning books on art, photography and critical studies. Founded by Michael Mack in London 2010. They work with established and emerging artists, writers and curators, as well as cultural institutions.