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Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology

John Sexton, Foreword by Walter Cronkite, Essay by Rob Pike

ISBN: 0967218810

DESCRIPTION: Places of Power, John Sexton's third book, transports the viewer to places few have experienced firsthand. This beautifully produced book explores the haunting mystery of ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings, the monumental scale of Hoover Dam, the massive energy of steam turbine power plants, and the intricacies of the Space Shuttle -- the single most complex system ever assembled in human history. John Sexton is internationally respected as a photographer, master
print maker, and photographic educator. The photographs in Places of Power bring the viewer into intimate contact with these amazing technological achievements. Seen through Sexton's eyes, these structures and machines that were built for utilitarian purposes are transformed into miraculous sculptures.

In addition to the stunning reproductions, the book includes a fascinating foreword by Walter Cronkite, and an essay by noted computer scientist, Rob Pike. John Sexton shares his experiences and challenges in the making of these photographs in his own essay. Marked by the same excellence in printing and design as Sexton's two previous award-winning books, Quiet Light and Listen to the Trees, Places of Power is an equally outstanding experience.

John Sexton recently said, "I am thrilled with the way "Places of Power" has turned out. Ventana Editions gave me complete control over the project, and the results exceed my expectations in every way. This book is an exciting conclusion to my thirteen year photographic project exploring these monuments of human achievement."

ABOUT PLACES OF POWER AND JOHN SEXTON'S PHOTOGRAPHY

Sexton's artistry illuminates the idea that within humanity's dreams and intellect there exists a divine spark.
- Walter Cronkite, from his Foreword to "Places of Power"

John is one of the stars of contemporary photography.
- ARTnews


The images in Sexton's PLACES OF POWER are rich and evocative. Immense detail is presented with a precision rarely seen in contemporary art photography. His expressive sensibility celebrates the energy and mystique of these places. All of the information is there, but the mystery remains. These are truly wonderful photographs!
- Jerry N. Uelsmann, Photographer


What John Sexton understands is that there is beauty in human invention, whether it is a cliff dwelling or a Space Shuttle. The power of these photographs is that they capture the magnificent spirit with which human beings have met the challenges of existence -- on this Earth, and beyond it,
- Andrew Chaikin, author of "A Man on the Moon"


In "Places of Power" John Sexton takes you on a journey trough human creations which help define people's desire to understand and shape their world.
- Hugh W. Harris, Retired Director of Public Affairs, NASA, John F. Kennedy Space Center


Sexton is on his way to surpassing his mentors: Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Wynn Bullock.
- The Washington Post


John Sexton is one of the most distinguished artists in the field of photography.
- Ruth Bernhard, Photographer


For Sexton there is an alchemy in the photographic process. This alchemy is mirrored in the quiet drama that his presentationreveals in his subjects.
- The Bloomsbury Review


We suspect that when the history of photography is written for the last two decades of this century, Sexton will occupy a prominent position.
- The Photograph Collector


I have known John Sexton for many years. He is an outstanding technician, and an accomplished photographic artist. He is right up there with the top of them.
- Cole Weston, photographer



JOHN SEXTON is internationally respected as a photographer, master print maker, workshop instructor, and lecturer. Author of two previous award-winning books, "Quiet Light" and "Listen to the Trees," he is best known for his luminous black andwhite images of the natural environment. For the past thirteen years he has concentrated his attention on the beauty of humankind's technological monuments. Sexton served as photographic assistant and consultant to Ansel Adams from 1979 to 1984. Since 1974 Sexton has taught hundreds of workshops throughout the United States and abroad. His finely crafted large format photographs have appeared in many publications, and are included in permanent collections and exhibitions throughout the world.

WALTER CRONKITE, a legendary journalist, has covered virtually every major news event from World War II to the current Space Shuttle program. He became an American icon as the CBS Evening News anchor from 1962 through 1981. During that period he reported on what he considers the greatest story of our time - humankind's landing on the moon. Twice named "The Most Trusted Man in America," Cronkite's steady, straightforward voice is forever tied to the defining moments of the second half of the 20th century.

ROB PIKE has been a member of the Computing Science Research Center of Bell Labs since 1980, where he studies the ways computers can help computer programmers write better programs. In 1981, he developed one of the first systems that used windows to allow multiple applications to share the display. He is a principal architect of the Plan 9 and Infernooperating systems and the author, with Brian Kernighan, of "The Unix Programming Environment and The Practice of Programming."


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