Joel Sternfeld: Sweet Earth- Experimental Utopias in America - Hardcover

It is a dream we have all cherished at least fleetingly: the hope of finding a place in this world in which to live more simply, surrounded by beauty and like-minded people. Photographer Joel Sternfeld's new book Sweet Earth: Experimental Utopias in America explores the past and present of these idealized communities across the United States. Sternfeld's photographs highlight the land on which these foundations for bliss were built while the accompanying text lends insight into the people whose vision led to their creation. And the two have much in common. Like the would-be creators of these Utopias, the photographs are beautiful and appear simple at first glance - only to reveal a rich complexity when studied further. . . One of the strengths of this book is Sternfeld's willingness to examine the idea of Utopia in a broader context. In a photograph of rooftop gardens in Chicago, the green vegetation glows, creating a sharp contrast to the nearby steel and brick and serving as a vivid reminder that changing the world doesn't have to mean escaping the city. Many of Sternfeld's photographs focus on landscape but there are also compelling portraits of people. A photograph of Moira, dubbed "Queen of the Prom" at the Range Nightclub in Slab City, Calif., ...is beautiful. And an image of four members of Springtree Commune in Virginia reflects the close bonds formed over years of living together. "Sweet Earth" shows us there are places of hope and heart, and people still eager to find their Utopia as they embrace the rich legacy of communalism in the US. -- Andy Nelson