Hong Kong: Front Door/Back Door

Library Journal

Hong Kong is a city of approximately seven million people, so it seems strange at first that these remarkable photographs are almost devoid of people (only two of the 71 color images are portraits). And yet they manage to convey the physical presence of this dynamic place's many inhabitants in an exceptionally vivid and immediate way. A recurring theme in Wolf's (Sitting in China) book are the fa ades of the enormous apartment buildings: we see row upon row of windows and balconies-some neat and orderly, some with drying laundry, battered air conditioners, items haphazardly stored. Many are vertigo-inducing in their immediacy of height and scale. Other objects-e.g., mops, tarps, paper cups-appear almost sculptural, as though they had been assembled and left for others to admire. Also included are brief essays on the city's architectural face, its self-image, and its edgy economic position by Baker, an art critic, and Young, cofounder of the successful lifestyle brand G.O.D. (Goods of Desire). Published to coincide with two spring 2006 exhibitions (Hasted Hunt Gallery, New York City, and Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco), this work is recommended for all libraries collecting books on contemporary art and photography, architecture, or urban planning.-Michael Dashkin, Qualcomm, San Diego Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.