Book review: ‘The Ongoing Moment’ by Geoff Dyer

The Ongoing Moment is a quirky examination of recurring photographic themes found in the work of a number of famous, mostly American, photographers. Geoff Dyer makes it clear his explorations aren’t intended to be comprehensive or definitive, and that the themes he sees as significant are entirely subjective. This gives him the perfect excuse to wander about at will, exploring such photographic subjects as hats, steps, benches, blind people, doors, beds, drive-in-movies, views from car windows, and roads vanishing into the distance.

Late in the book, Dyer provides his own nice summary:

Perhaps it is only a self-fulfilling quirk of this book’s aleatory approach and structure, but, increasingly, the history of photography seems to consist of photographers doing personalized versions of a repertoire of scenes, tropes, subjects or motifs.

A hugely enjoyable read.