Jesse’s Book Review – Puking Rainbows Past and Future by Sean Lotman & Tennbo Lotman

Here we are again with Sean Lotman‘s (ahem and Tennbo Lotman) latest photo book! This makes up the fourth review I have written and their second father/son collaboration making up the one book I wasn’t able to review. So this comes as a continuation of sorts from their previous Tour Dogs published zine, “House of Tennbo” that sold out before I could get to it.

“Puking Rainbows Past and Future” to a large extent is an evolution that comes off more as pure collaboration with them trading off Fuji Instax (Polaroid) shots, writings, and drawings over 111 pages.

To start, the photos are all in color and textural printed in a manner to heighten the Instax feel that works out well. Behind each photograph is either a ‘T’ or an ‘S’ signifying who took the corresponding photo. The photographs are often double exposed in effect to metaphor the overriding duality while capturing the wonder of the everyday.

From dinosaur exhibits, toys, and animals to family portraits, their dog, holidays, and their Kyoto neighborhood that wonder is a child-like curiosity. As adult artist we need to maintain that sense and on the other hand Tennbo literally represents that… at age ten now, most of the photo were taking by him at age 6-8, the earliest of which at 5.

Since Sean’s book, “Middle Life Notes” writing has become more of a preoccupation in his photo books. With the tradeoff of photos, they also tradeoff short journal entires. They come in the form  of loose father and son advice…often with Tennbo’s stream-of-conscious response varying….perhaps an example is best haha:

Sean, “Keep a journal the best you can. Start when you’re young. Don’t worry about the details. Just get the gist of it down on paper (yes, use a pen and paper). Otherwise, you’ll be saddened by how much you forget.”

To which Tennbo responds, “Did you know that people in New York eat beetles because they taste good?

Of course more seriously from the photo below:

To which Tennbo responds, “We”ll be family forever.”

With all of this the book’s aesthetics bring it all together. Mentioned the textural difference of the photos, but the exposed binding as well makes an impression with its rainbow coloring. I appreciate Sean’s afterword contextualizing it all along with Tennbo’s crayon drawings. One of which is where the photo book derives its title, literally of a sun puking a rainbow haha.

In all it serves as a colorful ode to fatherhood. I appreciate this personal progression with “Middle Life Notes” to logically looking at your immediate life and beginning these collaborations with your child. Really an inspiring blueprint in growth when looking at his debut in the more straightforward “Sunlanders” to the experimental “The Sniper Paused So He Could Wipe His Brow.” The best artist show that range simply because it represents where they are at.

The book can be purchased directly from the publisher (appropriately titled), Neutral Colors here.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

For other book reviews click here.
-JF