People's Lives: A Photographic Celebration of the Human Spirit - Tapa dura

"Bill Wright's greatest talent is his unique ability to transform the personal into the universal... These are people's lives, but not just those of the individuals recorded before his lens. They are all of us." -Roy Flukinger, Senior Curator of Photography and Film, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin

From the mountain villages of Nepal to his hometown of Abilene, Texas, Bill Wright has travelled the world to learn about and photograph other people's lives. The directness and intimacy of his images bear witness to the remarkable rapport that he has achieved with people in many walks of life, from a woodcarver in Tanzania to Aboriginal children in Australia. In fact, as Sam Abell observes, Wright's work is reminiscent of "The Family of Man", the most influential photography book ever published. "People's Lives" records a photographic journey in celebration of the human spirit. In sixty-nine duotone images taken around the world, Bill Wright captures what is best in people - our joy, love, hope, and resilience. Many of the photographs are accompanied by extended captions in which Wright describes the encounters that produced them. In the preface, he also discusses his photographic career, artistic philosophy, and methods of working. Sam Abell of "National Geographic Magazine" offers a perceptive assessment and appreciation of Wright's work in the introduction. Bill Wright is an award-winning photographer and writer, whose work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and books.