Foreword by Madeline Lippman; Preface by Elinor Carucci; Drawings by Stella O'Neill.
When Justin O'Neill and his wife separated, their young daughter, Stella, was caught in the middle, as are so many children of divorce. Thinking that his camera would be a joint "project" that would bring them together, give them a continuity of purpose, and create a bridge to a greater relationship and understanding, he began the project that, at its completion three years later, has accomplished all of those goals. Though heavily discussed in psychological texts, divorce is not usually the subject of photography books, and this beautiful essay is not just the personal exploration of Justin and Stella; it also represents the universal struggle of divided families in today's complex world and how a child, a parent, and a camera can do so much more than document—they can mend and transform this most primary of relationships.
The profound emotional impact of these extraordinary photographs makes On Stellar Rays indispensable for those examining the effects of a family in crisis, including potential positives outcomes of a painful situation. Delicately offering up fifty beautiful black-and-white imagery, O'Neill's debut book is sure to cast him as a new light on the horizon of photography and brings into focus the problem, the explanation, and a solution that worked for one family, and will provide inspiration for many others.
About the author and contributors:
Justin O'Neill is the photo director of Esquire and adjunct professor at The School of Visual Arts in New York. He earned his BFA degree in 1994 upon graduating from Purchase College. Justin's photography is focused on the anthropological exploration of his family. He currently lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York, with his daughter, Stella.
Madeline Lippman is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. She received her BA at Princeton University in English literature and creative writing, her first love. She went on to complete her PhD in clinical psychology at Adelphi and her postdoctoral training in psychoanalysis at New York University. Her areas of interest include loss and bereavement, young-adult development, creativity, couple therapy, human sexuality, and integration of psychotherapy techniques. She is in private practice in New York City.
Elinor Carucci was born 1971 in Jerusalem, Israel, and graduated in 1995 from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design with a degree in photography and moved to New York that same year. Her work has been included in many solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including Edwynn Houk Gallery, Fifty One Fine, and MoMA, and has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and Aperture, among other publications. She was awarded the ICP Infinity Award in 2001, The Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002 and NYFA in 2010. Carucci has published three monographs to date: Closer (Chronicle Books; 2002), Diary of a Dancer (SteidlMack; 2005), and MOTHER (Prestel; 2013). She currently teaches at the graduate program of photography at School of Visual Arts and is represented by Edwynn Houk Gallery.
ISBN: 978-0-9987474-9-1
116 pages; 7.5 x 10"; jacket hardcover;
50 b/w photographs and 5 drawings
