Andrew Zuckerman - Wisdom

New York based photographer, film maker, fashionisto, (and SuperForester!) Andrew Zuckerman is on the verge of releasing an incredible document.

It is called Wisdom and is nothing less than a round table discussion by our global elders on topics as diverse as Love, Work, Environment, and yes, even Wisdom itself.

Check it:

Nelson Mandela

Firstly, the beautifully revealing portraits! These portraits are stunning for many reasons. The one that really speaks to me is how they have been handled by the post-production team. It would have been quite simple to airbrush out every wrinkle and mole, but these humans are allowed to retain their humanity by Zuckerman and his talented staff.

Andrew Wyeth

So instead of everyone looking like movie stars, they look like you and I. This makes their messages much more accessible. By photographing his subjects all on the same background, AZ has democratized them, allowing for a true discussion and discourse, with no hierarchy.

Looky:

Chuck Close

Bill Withers

(How they got Withers is beyond me. He's tougher to photograph than Howard Hughes!)

Ravi Shankar

These photographic gems are held firmly in place with some of the most astounding typography and graphic design we've yet seen. Thanks to designer extraordinaire David Meredith, (who also designed Andrew's last book: Creature) there are so many ways one can access this work.

Each page is like a poem. Nothing extraneous. Nothing to clutter the clarity of the images and quotes.




Mr. Zuckerman has collected an amazing range of thoughts and ideas from people who have lived through some very trying times, and at a time when the zeitgeist is so obsessed with "youth-culture" it is refreshing to see someone documenting those that can offer advice and clean thinking from points of view that have withstood the tests of time, from the opposite end of the spectrum.

If you love portraiture, you'll love this book. If you love the wisdom of those who have been there and done that, you'll love this book. If you love surprising and playful design, you'll love this book.

To add to the experience further, each book comes with a DVD of the Wisdom movie. It contains footage from each interview as well as a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary. (It sure looks like a lot of work goes into making a book, or maybe that's just a testament to the drive and tenacity of Mr. Zuckerman and Co.)

Wisdom goes on sale this month, (and you can get it off of amazon right now!)

Kudos to Mr. Zuckerman for bringing such a vital and vibrant work into the world at a time when we need it most.

Love to All,

Jackson and Team SuperForest