Rating: 
Summary: Bones of Progress Passed
Review: Speaking as a published photographer, this book of unusual night photography is very, very impressive, and highly recommended. On first look, this appears to be portfolio of artsy night photographs of rusty junk that's been abandoned in the desert and photographed by a roving lost soul. But it's much more than that. It's a diary of Lost America, and an ode to the innovation and creativity of The American Spirit.Paiva will take you on a strange journey that he's been traveling for more than 10 years, through the graveyards of a world that no longer exists, except in our memories, and in these photographs, which are unlike anything you've ever seen. Yes, these are photographs of long-abandoned leading-edge technological innovations of their time - which we now call junk -- but they are also pictures of places, long ago abandoned by people who had bigger hopes and dreams. What we don't know is whether their dreams ended in tragedy, or whether they abandoned what they saw as worthless baubles of an industrial America in constant state of creative destruction and transition, to move onward and upward to better things. And thus these photographs become palettes for our imaginations. Behind every picture, there is a story, and Paiva's five outstanding essays provide some of that story by providing insight to the transitions of American culture over the past 50 years or so, as well as adding his uniquely humorous, sentimental - and sometimes scary - outlook on his photo subjects. He also weaves enough autobiographical information into his poetic prose to provide us with glimpses into the soul of a man who enjoys taking 3,000 mile road trips in four days under a full moon, and barreling down Interstate highways with the stereo pounding, while sleepy, punchy, and covered with sweat and desert grit. My favorite is this: "Salvage yards are some of my favorite places to haunt. You get the feeling that these objects are all staring at you, imploring you to put them out of their misery. If machines have souls, then junkyards are filled with their ghosts, confused and trapped in the purgatory between useful life and their ultimate demise in the smelter." After reading the essays and viewing the pictures, Paiva's success in capturing his vision of Lost America may change the way you view the world of junk, forevermore. The 100 plus color pictures, all shot on 35mm film and presented without digital or darkroom enhancements, are each captioned with flair and personality. For example, when was the last time you saw the work "gimpy" in print, as in : "A gimpy starburst light fixture rises above the other battered and faded signs in the blistering desert sun of Las Vegas' sign graveyard" (p.101). In addition to the photos and essays and personal observations and biography, there is an Introduction by Stan Ridgway, former Wall of Voodoo performing who's recent CD Holiday In Dirt is adorned with a Paiva-shot photo. He captures the essence of Paiva's photo essays magnificently in just a few words: "Can a person be compassionate about a broken-down, abandoned motel or a rotting, rusty trailer? Meet Troy Paiva.... And if every picture tells a story, then Troy is a master storyteller. But he's also an explorer.... Some kind of archaeologist or desert astronaut, uncovering an ancient civilization - our own." Not only has Paiva captured the junk heap at the side of the road that is America's journey of progress, but throughout his work he has also succeeded in tugging at the heartstrings of each of us who are now travelers on a similar journey, knowing that one day our worn-out consumer goods will be tokens of our worn-out, discarded, or lost dreams - and our own personal contribution to someone else's Lost America.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding photostory of disappearing America
Review: Troy Paiva has been photographing abandoned buildings for over ten years. But unlike David Plowden, who favors the industrial rust-belt buildings under overcast skies, Paiva centers on the small, roadside buildings of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico; the mom-and-pop grocery stores, gas stations, and drive-in theaters that have been left in the desert to decay a slow, dry death. Although this book is interesting to anyone who's a fan of either Route 66 memorabilia or the history of roadside America, the most stunning aspect of this book is that all of the photographs were taken at night, usually under a full moon with the aid of well-placed color strobes. And while a Hollywood production company would flood these buildings with enough light to make it look like daytime, Troy Paiva selectively adds just enough colored light to draw the buildings out of the darkness and render some sense of mystery to the scenes. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in abandonded buildings, roadside America and night photography.
Rating:
Summary: Very, very good!
Review: Troy Paiva uses an interesting compositional approach that really brings out a genuine metaphysical aspect of any setting. It is this kind of photography that causes one to stop and think about our recent past, and where we are heading in the future. There is a lot to be said about the modern American iconography one sees in every shot. It's beautiful. It's spiritual. It makes a person take introspection.
Rating:
Summary: Best night photos make the best books!
Review: What a refreshing look at Americas past though the eyes of a great photographer.
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