Mercy Mercer, the second book of New Zealander Derek Henderson's photographs, is a weighty volume of 128 pages. When first holding it, it has a great object-presence. The gray book cloth is delightfully tactile. The cover photo is one of Henderson's signature images and served as my introduction to his work in 2008 when he won Jen Bekman's Hey, Hot Shot! competition. Once inside, the only text to prepare you for the images is Henderson's brief artist statement. The photographs are printed at nearly 11 x 14 inches, which allows the viewer to fall right in. The print quality is very good, the details sharp and crisp.

The book contains a contemporary mix of portraiture, landscape, and still life photography. The sequencing and subject of the photographs firmly place Mr. Henderson in the style of the New Docugraphics movement, characterized by the photographs of Alec Soth. It's unfortunate that New Docugraphics work so quickly conjures Soth that others working in the style frequently appear derivative. Henderson's work is struggling with this predicament, but it would be a mistake to dismiss his photographs solely because of Soth's influence. They are of high quality and are, though somewhat unevenly, engaging.



These photographs were made over a three-year period along the Waikato River in Mercer, New Zealand. Many of the portraits and landscapes feel like still lifes, maybe a consequence of using an 8"x10" camera. It's very hard to make an "action shot" when you're working with such cumbersome gear. The pay off is the immense detail captured on the giant negative. Additionally, the color is so rich, subtle, and warm it should inspire some to throw out their digital cameras and buy up all the Portra 160NC in whatever format they can find.




While gallery-books are common in the photography world, they often miss an opportunity to offer the printed page as more than a sequence of pictures and Mercy Mercer is no exception. It is effectively a sequence of 65 images, much like you would see on a gallery wall or web portfolio. Who are these people? Why is the town down on its luck? Is that power plant a sinister polluter or a modern reality? Maybe the answers and the connection between images are clear to a native of Mercer, but as an outsider, it's obtuse. What I took away from the book is that Mercer, New Zealand is populated with a diverse range of people and cultures dealing with the various pressures of modern life. It's a place like any other. Not particularly profound, but maybe that's the point. —David Ondrik