Modern Instances

Following the vast critical acclaim of Stephen Shore’s experimental memoir Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography, we are pleased to present this new and expanded edition, available in paperback. Perfect for both new readers and those wanting to learn more from Shore’s invaluable teaching, this edition includes several new essays not included in the hardcover, over forty new images, plus an extensive notes section in which Shore reflects on elements of the original text and expands on themes such as inspiration, gifts, tragedy, and vernacular photography.

Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography is an impressionistic scrapbook that documents the rich and surprising touchstones that make up over half a century of ground-breaking work. With essays, photographs, stories, and excerpts that draw on Shore’s decades of teaching, this is an essential handbook for anyone interested in learning more about mastering one’s craft and the distinct threads that come together to inform a creative voice. As much as offering meditation on the influences of a single artist, Modern Instances proposes a new way of thinking about the world around us, in which even the smallest moment can become a source of boundless inspiration – if only we pay attention.

Praise for Modern Instances

‘Modern Instances is more than just a collection of musings about a life lived in the arts. The book itself is an artwork.’ Washington Post

‘[Modern Instances] will no doubt affect how you make or appreciate photographs – it might even alter how you see.’ David Fincher

‘Modern Instances is the textbook I’ve been waiting for. It’s about craft and biography, as the subtitle suggests, but it’s also a guide for living.’ Alec Soth

Paperback
17 x 24.5cm, 288 pages

ISBN 978-1-915743-20-6
October 2023