Vibes and Scribes, as the citizens of Cork know, is an amazing book shop, or rather book shops as it has expanded in the last few years. It is akin to The Strand as its eclectic catalogue caters to many whims.
As I did down in The Strand in that fair summer of ’09, I browse this shop regularly. This is a lethal custom. I am probably broke because of it. Inevitably I always leave with some treasure. One day I came across The Noir A-Z.
Compiled, or “imagined”, by Julian Hubbard, this is indulgent treat for those inclined to the surreal and subversive. Hubbard organised this project once he recognized associations that ran through the themes of his photography. Thus The Noir A-Z was born. It may be a more subdued, but his works present similar anxiety and charge that frequented the lens of Man Ray and the canvas of Salvidor Dali.
Due to its suggestion of noir film themes, Hubbard’s images remind me of Cindy Sherman and her excellent Untitled Film Stills series. Sherman’s objective captured the female stereotypes that occupied media culture, while Hubbard seems to utilize the cinematic aesthetic to pay homage to the perturbed perspectives of the Surrealists.
Here are a couple of my favourites. I urge you dear citizens to add this to your collections.
Q is for “Quiescent”
