The pond

John Gossage's The Pond was considered groundbreaking when first published in 1985, and remains one of the most important photobooks of the medium. Consisting of photographs taken around and away from a pond situated in an unkempt wooded area at the edge of a city, the volume presents a considered foil to Henry Thoreau's stay at Walden. The photo­graphs in The Pond do not aspire to the "beauty" of classical landscapes in the tradition of Ansel Adams. Instead, they reveal a subtle vision of reality on the border between humankind and nature. Gossage depicts nature in full splendor, yet at odds with both itself and humankind, but his tone is ambiguous and evoca­tive rather than didactic. Robert Adams described the work as "believable because it includes evidence of man's darkness of spirit, memorable because of the intense fondness [Gossage] shows for the remains of the natural world." Aperture is pleased to reissue this exquisitely produced classic monograph, not surprisingly a highly sought-after collectable, with the addition of three images and two essays, and a new dust jacket inspired by the original design. This second, twenty-fifth anniversary edition offers new audiences the opportunity to celebrate this notable work by a master photographer and bookmaker.