Critique
Critique (established 1999) is the regular Eye column by Rick Poynor.
Scenes from an imperfect world
Even Don McCullin expressed doubts about his photographs of war and suffering. What is their message today? Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Emotion pictures
Alex Prager’s ravishing tableaux mix glamour and unease. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Mining the ruins
When petrol replaced coal, the island of Hashima lost its purpose and slowly decayed. Rick Poynor examines a new photobook haunted by the past
Enigmas of abstraction
Photography records with startling accuracy. Why use it to create non-representational images? Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Different kinds of marginal
Diane Arbus’s unsparing images retain their power to discomfit. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Colour field
By choosing colour over black-and-white, Joel Meyerowitz pioneered a new type of American street photography. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Fabricated reality
Andreas Gursky’s photographs, manipulated like digital paintings, have spectacular impact. But they can display a lofty detachment from their subjects. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Witness of the moment
A book of informal interviews with Henri Cartier-Bresson is testament to a great photographer’s intuitive eye. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Relentless riches
A busy blockbuster traces the stunning history of Japanese photobooks. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor
Mississippi dreaming
Alec Soth’s photographic journey along the Mississippi merges the documentary with the poetic. Photo Critique by Rick Poynor