Description
Book SynopsisA panoramic odyssey down the Illinois River
Trade Review"A work of love ... this is a book you'll continue to be drawn to, irresistibly."--IllinoisTimes
"Countless American landscapes languish in the shadows of such cherished icons as Zion, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon, waiting patiently until someone like David Zalaznik comes along to search out their rhythms and beauties. The Illinois River is fortunate to have his attention, and we are the richer for what he has shown us."--Jim Richardson, photojournalist, National Geographic Society
“David Zalaznik’s
Life along the Illinois River artfully captures river life with an eye informed as much by the hallmarks of American painting as by the tenets of documentary photojournalism. His studies of abandoned civic buildings evoke the solemnity of an Edward Hopper painting, and his awe-inspiring glimpses of wildlife recall the ornithological studies of John James Audubon. The emblazoned skies and pastoral vistas found in landscape paintings of the Hudson River School reverberate throughout these breathtaking photographs. This collection epically depicts the coalescence of life and landscape in the Illinois River Valley, vividly creating a contemporary portrait of Mid-Americana.”--Bill Conger, artist and curator of University Galleries at Illinois State University
“David Zalaznik’s photographs are nuanced, layered in tone as well as pictorial content. There is a richness to them, in the stories they tell and in their sensuous beauty. He has a clear eye, a sound vision, and a love for the river that is a source of life for the central Illinois valley. These lush photographs remind us of the river’s importance in our lives as a vital commercial link between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, a recreation site, a resource of drinking water and food, a nesting place for migrating birds, and a source of beauty, inspiration, and connection to our community’s past.”--Channy Lyons, author of
Peoria Women Artists through 1970
