JIM GOLDBERG - The Last Son

JIM GOLDBERG
The Last Son

Published by Super Labo, 2016
Book size 18.4 x 26 cm
Pages 134 Pages / 85 Images
Binding Hardcover with dust jacket
full color offset
First edition
ISBN 978-4-905052-92-0


The Last Son is Goldberg's second book in a three-part personal Super Labo series, weaving together an assemblage of visual memories that trace his own diary. Goldberg, the youngest son of a wholesale candy distributor, traces his dreams alongside those of his father as he journeys through the past through a photographic and written montage. The conceptual inspiration comes from his recent reworking of Rich and Poor (Steidl, 2014), in which he further examined the influence of his early years on his work.
The Last Son traces Goldberg's growth as an artist alongside his father's acceptance of his own unfulfilled dreams. The narrative also reads more broadly as a story about American perseverance, family dynamics, and the struggle to exceed the expectations of those closest to us; in this case, Goldberg struggles to overcome his role as head of the family. Blending photographs, collages, handwritten text, and stills from family films, Goldberg mines his archives to construct a narrative of memories, beginning with his earliest photographs. The book is a sculptural collection of overflowing pages, offering a palpable interaction with his storytelling process. The Last Son allows a tactile glimpse into Goldberg's empathetic process of making sense of his story.
The Last Son follows Goldberg's 134 Ways to Forget (Super Labo, 2011), a double-sided interactive poster/zine that juxtaposes Goldberg's photographs with his writing as he sorts through 134 ways to forget a relationship. The third installment in this Super Labo series will continue to follow Goldberg's personal trajectory—and will include the previously unpublished work he created during his travels in Asia in the 1970s.