American staged art photography is the focus of this unique, in-depth study. Offering a new methodological strategy for viewing photographs, this fascinating account analyzes the work of four of the leading names in this new genre - Les Krims, Duane Michals, Arthur Tress, and Lucas Samaras - and applies new perspectives to 1970s art photography. As it sheds fresh light on the four artists' critiques of purist ideals, it also looks closely at their efforts to transcend the limitations of the purely visual effect of photography. Not only does this book tell the history of American staged photography in broad terms by drawing on theories and methods new to the field, but it also presents the latest approaches to photography history and theory.