Nature De Luxe

An American who grew up in Arizona, Andrew Phelps camped out as a child in search of adventure. Then he moved to Europe and discovered a place where the world of the camper is one of comfort, predictability and a desperate attempt at a home away from home; the wilderness is avoided at all costs. These oddly lyrical photos of permanent campgrounds in Austria turn the American idea of camping on its head, with the kind of permanent detail a vase of flowers on a window sill, a satellite dish, a trellis festooned with vines that you d never see on a trailer or tent that was meant to be portable. Phelps has an eye for the juxtaposition of nature and domesticity, enjoying the image of the manicured lawn by a lake, or the swimming pool under the pines. Wonderful social commentary in a full color book.