Act of sight

"The remarkable Tsiaras Family Photography Collection, amassed by William and Nancy Tsiaras, boasts highlights from many of the medium's most significant artists. Act of Sight commemorates a gift from the Tsiaras family of over 400 photographs to the Colby College Museum of Art and features images by key practitioners such as Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Clarence White, and Garry Winogrand. Dr. Tsiara's deep interest in photography grew out of his work as an academic ophthalmologist at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, where he developed friendships with the photographers Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind, professors at the nearby Rhode Island School of Design who were also his patients. In a statement written for the book, Dr. Tsiaras reflects on the role photography played in his upbringing, and on his relationships with Callahan, Siskind, and the multimedia artist Lucas Samaras. The book also features essays devoted to the oeuvres of Callahan, Joe Deal, Samaras, Siskind, and David Vestal by experts in the field, while shorter pieces provide analysis of individual pictures by William Christenberry, Lee Friedlander, Lauren Greenfield, Russell Lee, Helen Levitt, Gyorgy Kepes, Igne Morath, and Parks. Act of Sight testifies to the discerning eyes of those important collectors of photography at the same time that it presents a unique tour through the history of the medium, reflecting the pedagogical mission of the collection's home."--Publisher description