Park Place

“David Heberlein’s Park Place: Out West offers a fresh meditation on the complex relationship between humans and what we term ‘wilderness.’ This quest for proximity to the natural world has led us to seek out the wild, yet we do not wish to leave behind our creature comforts. Heberlein’s wry photographs reveal our longing to be a part of, instead of apart from, nature. Often cloaked in humor or irony, these images are emblematic of our hunger for natural vistas coupled with our collective fear of destroying the planet, as if to experience it for the last time.” ~Michelle Van Parys, Professor of Art Emerita, College of Charleston, and author of The Way Out West: Desert Landscapes

“The American wilderness, if it ever truly existed, is long gone. The health of planet Earth has been severely compromised by human actions, but, as seminal landscape photographer Mark Klett has reminded viewers for decades, there is still so much beauty. And the human desire to go adventuring and to experience the wonders of the world with our own eyes and feet continues on. Especially if there is good parking and decent restrooms. Heberlein's elegant and gently humorous photographs wonderfully capture the moment in which we find ourselves, burning fossil fuel to get out into the landscape and take selfies in sanctioned scenic spots. Yes, the saguaros are interspersed with utility poles, but he doesn't begrudge us the thrill of discovery on our own terms. Park Place: Out West is a distinctive contribution to the ongoing dialog about the human relationship with nature and a reminder to all of us to get up off the couch and see what's out there!” ~Katherine Ware, Curator of Photography, New Mexico Museum of Art, and author of Man Ray, 1890–1976 and Earth Now: American Photographers and the Environment

“Over many years, I’ve watched David Heberlein patiently pursue a visual examination of a particular western place. The idea of those places as preserved acreage of wilderness runs counter to the position of them as theme parks. Within that dichotomy Heberlein has focused on the ‘act of looking’ offering moments of quiet discovery and wry incongruities. That he has accomplished this with grace and insight is a testament to his photographic skills and his tenacity.” ~Wayne Gudmundson is Professor of Photography at Minnesota State University

“It is, perhaps, one of the most enjoyable books of American nature photography ever made… Stunningly printed, and with great attention to toning, it at times feels like somebody gave Ansel Adams a Xanax.” ~New York Journal of Books

“For all of us, these photographs are part of a vast record of how our national lands have looked and they enter a larger dialogue that is likely to continue in words and images for many years to come.” ~photo-eye

“Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library American Photography collections… [this] will prove to be a welcome addition to a longstanding tradition of artists, writers—as well as amateur and professional photographers heading out West to see and explore and interpret America's national treasures.” ~Midwest Book Review

“…the whole book has a witty spirit, which lifts it above the great boring mass of calendar-ready nature photography. Throw in a nice feel for serendipitous composition, and the book can surprise. Pictures from Death Valley and Mount St. Helens, for example, layer odd shapes across space with Friedlanderish precision. The printing is great, and the production is top-notch.” ~Blake Andrews, Up Photographers