Gabriele Basilico: Silicon Valley, 07

(Gabriele Basilico, San Francisco, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 23 5/8 in. x 31 1/2 in. (60 cm x 80 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico )

I mentioned this book way back at the beginning of the year in my selection of upcoming books for 2008 - Gabriele Basilico: Silicon Valley, 07 .

As I understand it, Basilico was commissioned by SFMOMA as part of a project exploring the current state of Silicon Valley and the effects of the technology boom on the region.

I think people tend to fall into one of two groups - either they like Basilico's work or they don't and can't really be bothered with it. Obviously I'm in the former group...

(Gabriele Basilico, San Francisco, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 39 3/8 in. x 51 3/16 in. (100 cm x 130 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico)

This is a very nice, large size (larger than many of his recent books) and well printed book. But what's especially intriguing is how much of the work is in colour - I haven't counted, but probably close to a third of the pictures.

(Gabriele Basilico, San Francisco, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 39 3/8 in. x 51 3/16 in. (100 cm x 130 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico)

Some of Basilico's colour wok has shown itself before, such as in the Beirut book for example, but not a lot compared to his B&W work. And it is black and white that he is predominantly known for.

A couple of things about that - first, the colour work is extremely well and beautifully done. But secondly, it runs seamlessly with the B&W work. Basilico makes it look easy here, but my opinion is that it's quite difficult in the first place to make successful colour and black & white photographs of the same subjects at the same time (or thereabouts - which is what Basilico seems to have been doing). Not only that, but I've rarely seen a monograph type photo book of one project or subject that works well with mixed colour and black and white - I can think of very few. Yet my experience here was that in looking through Silicon Valley, 07, I hardly even noticed when the work changed from one to the other and back again. But it influences the whole book overall.

I'd certainly love to see the exhibition of this work which is on at SFMOMA (on until June 15th) - going to have to keep an eye out for cheap flights...

(Gabriele Basilico, San Francisco, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 23 5/8 in. x 31 1/2 in. (60 cm x 80 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico)

One the content of the book, Basilico does have a certain style - although he rings the changes within that. And while a number of the pictures clearly say "US of A" or "California", I was surprised to see how, through Basilico's eye, so many parts of the Western US look curiously like the parts of suburban extra-urban and post-industrial Italy he has explored for so long. The homogenization of such regions is a global phenomenon which more often than not submerges local uniqueness in favour of the generic.


(Gabriele Basilico, Redwood City, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 23 5/8 in. x 31 1/2 in. (60 cm x 80 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico)

Basilico's work has a deceptive simplicity to it. There have been quite a number of books by Basilico that have come out in the last couple of years - a glut even... (and more yet slated to follow). This book has quickly become one of my favourites.

(Gabriele Basilico, San Jose, 2007, 2007; Digital pigment print; 23 5/8 in. x 31 1/2 in. (60 cm x 80 cm); Collection of the Artist; © Gabriele Basilico)

(Many thanks to SFMOMA for the images here)