Deborah Turbeville is an original artist. Her unique personal vision colors her work and whether portrait, landscape, interiors or fashion, her signature is immediately apparent. Her latest book of photographs, Past Imperfect, may be puzzling to those who like their answers on a plate. The pictures breach the fine line between a commercial fashion shoot and a pictorial work of art, for one thing. In the scenarios depicted the female models are cast as players whose role is ambiguous. As well, the photographer has reproduced her original archive in which many of the prints were torn, scratched and superimposed with sticky tape. She and her publisher, Steidl, spent four and a half years on the book, which is an edited compilation of work done between 1974 and 1997. Continue reading »